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
Battersea 1909
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1909
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board vessels arriving from abroad. All these were kept under
observation for a period of sixteen days, and no case of small-pox
arose.
Scarlet Fever.
There was a considerable decrease in the number of cases of
scarlet fever reported in Battersea during 1909, 702 cases being
notified and eight deaths registered from the disease, giving a
case mortality of 1.1 per cent. In 1908, 1,099 cases were notified
and twenty-four deaths registered, i.e., a case mortality of 2.1 per
cent.
The death-rate for 1,000 population (0.04) from scarlet fever
in Battersea was the lowest rate recorded in the County of London
during 1909.
The following table shows the distribution of the disease and the case mortality and death-rate per 1,000 of the population in the Borough and the sub-districts during 1909:—
| Sub Registration Districts. | East Battersea. | Nth.-West Battersea. | Sth. -West Battersea. | Borough. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Cases | ||||
| Case-rate per 1,000 population | ||||
| No. of Deaths | — | |||
| Death-rate per 1,000 population | ||||
| Case-mortality per cent. | l.11 |
Of the 702 cases of scarlet fever notified 437 (i.e., 62 per
cent.) were of children of school age.
Of the eight deaths registered from the disease during 1909,
six were of children under five years of age.
In 104 of the 551 houses invaded by the disease, multiple
cases occurred. In a number of instances it was found that the
source of infection was traceable to a mild unrecognised case, or
to some suspicious illness from which one or more members of
the family or families residing in the house was suffering.