London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Lambeth 1903
Report on the vital and sanitary statistics of the Borough of Lambeth during the year 1903
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74
Mild and unrecognised cases cause the disease to spread, and
in this way the advantage of bacteriological examinations must
be apparent to all. In the report of the Bacteriological Laboratory
(see page 186), it will be noted that, of the 227 examinations
made in 1903, in only 41 (i.e., 18.1 per cent.) were the true bacilli
of Diphtheria found.
During 1903, no school had to be closed on account of
Diphtheria.
The distribution of the disease in the different Registration Sub-Districts of the Borough of Lambeth, together with the numbers of death amongst both hospital-, and home-, treated patients, etc., during 1903, are as follows:—
| Registration Sub-Districts. | Total No. of Cases Notified. | Cases treated at Home. | Cases removed to Hospital. | No. of Deaths. | Case Mortality per 100. | Rate of Persons Notified per 1000 Inhabitants. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Home. | In Hospital. | Total. | ||||||
| Waterloo Rd. 1st | 18 | 4 | 14 | — | 2 | 2 | 11.1 | 1.3 |
| Waterloo Rd. 2nd | 17 | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | |
| Lambeth Ch. 1st | 27 | 1 | 26 | — | 1 | 1 | 3.7 | 1.5 |
| Lambeth Ch. 2nd | 44 | 8 | 36 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 13.6 | 1.1 |
| Kennington 1st | 32 | — | 32 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12.5 | 0.6 |
| Kennington 2nd | 79 | 27 | 52 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6.3 | 1.8 |
| Brixton | 91 | 23 | 68 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 10.9 | 1.05 |
| Norwood | 21 | 16 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 0.6 |
The value of antitoxin* as a remedy for Diphtheria is now
acknowledged, more especially when used in the early stages of
the diseases, e.g., first or second days. Recognising the importance
of this antitoxin treatment being early administered, and
remembering that no untoward results have yet been noticed, or
* Antitoxin first gratuitously distributed in Lambeth by the late Vestry
on August 3rd, 1899.