London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

Hampstead 1919

Report for the year 1919 of the Medical Officer of Health

This page requires JavaScript

Text

Copy text to clipboard

81
Whooping Cough.
As it is not considered necessary to make cases of this disease
compulsorily notifiable, no definite information is available as to the
exact number of cases that occur; our chief source of knowledge is
derived from the School Teachers Notifications of children absent from
school either on account of their suffering from the disease, or of its
existence in the houses in which they reside.
The Borough Council has for several years issued a pamphlet,
drawn up by the Medical Officer of Health, containing advice in the
care of children suffering from this disease. Arrangements are in
existence whereby the nursing facilities of the two Nursing Associations
are available without cost to the parents, and in special circumstances
cases are received into the isolation hospitals of the Metropolitan
Asylums Board.
It is hoped that our efforts may in some measure at all events
permanently reduce the mortality from this disease. In 1919,
fortunately, no death occurred under this head.

Table: The following statement shows the deaths since 1906 from Whooping Cough occurring at various age periods. During these years no death occurred at an age exceeding fifteen years:—

The following statement shows the deaths since 1906 from Whooping Cough occurring at various age periods. During these years no death occurred at an age exceeding fifteen years:—

YEAR.Under four weeks.Four weeks and under one year.One year and under five years.Five years and under fifteen years.Total.
1906....2..2
1907156..12
1908..32..5
1909..106218
1910146..11
1911..12..3
1912..1214
1913145..10
1914..105116
1915..3418
1916..52• •7
1917....1..1
1918..78..15
1919..........