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

Paddington 1910

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]

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DIPHTHERIA. 15
One hundred and eight patients (93.1 per cent. of the total number) were removed to
hospital, including the cases erroneously diagnosed (Table 13). The percentage of patients
receiving hospital treatment showed an increase of nearly 6 per cent. above the average for
the five years 1905-09 ( Table 14). The fatality of the disease was 6.7 per cent. last year, 2.7
less than the mean (Table 14), the whole of the decrease being among the patients treated in
hospital.

Table: TABLE 13.

TABLE 13.

Ward.Diphtheria (including Membranous Croup).Scarlet Fever.Enteric Fever including Continued Fever.)
Cases.Deaths.Cases.Deaths.Cases.Deaths.
Total Reported.Removed to Hospital,At Home.In Hospital.Total Reported.Removed to Hospital.At Home.In Hospital.Total Reported.Removed to Hospital.„At Home.In Hospital.
Queen's Park19(1)19 (1)-130 (3)34 (3)-222--
Harrow Road24 (4)23 (4)-175 (5)72 (5)-27 (3)5(3)1-
Maida Vale12 (1)12 (1)--33 (9)33 (9)--75--
Westbourne13 (2)13(2)-127 (2)26(1)--321-
Church28 (4)27 (4)-3 (1)61 (9)56 (7)-313 (2)12(2)11
LancasterGate, West5 (1)4(1)1-1111--2 (1)1 (1)--
„ East97-111--1 (1)1 (1)--
Hyde Park63--14 (1)14 (1)--54--
Note.—The figures in parentheses represent the errors of diagnosis.

Table: TABLE 14.

TABLE 14.

Diphtheria.Scarlet Fever.Enteric Fever.
1910.Mean. 1905-09.1910.Mean. 1905-09.1910.Mean. 1905-09.
Removed to Hospital*93.187.395.792.480.072.8
Fatality †
At Home12.511.7—0.937.526.0
In Hospital6.39.03.12.34.010.4
Total6.79.43.02.112.115.2
Mortality‡0.060.080.040.080.030.03

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* Per cent. of all cases reported.
† Per cent. of attacks, after corrections for errors of diagnosis, based on deaths of patients
reported during the year.
‡ Per 1,000 persons of all ages—Rates based on total numbers of deaths recorded.
The deaths from diphtheria numbered 9, but that total included one death of a patient
reported with the disease during 1909, and a fatal case not reported during life (post mortem
diagnosis). The mortality last year was 0.06 per 1,000 persons, or 0.02 less than the
quinquennial mean rate (Table 14). Of the districts mentioned in Table 10, Hampstead is the
only one with a lower nett mortality (0.05), but after correction (Table 15), lower rates than
that for the Borough (0.08) are obtained for Hampstead (0.07) and Willesden (0.06).
In August last the Local Government Board made an Order sanctioning the supply of
diphtheria antitoxin and of medical assistance in connection therewith for the poorer
inhabitants of the Borough. In a covering letter the Board stated very definitely that the use of
antitoxin was not to replace the admission of patients to hospital, but was intended to secure
the early administration of the serum. It was also proposed that the serum should be used
as a prophylactic for persons who had been in contact with patients suffering from diphtheria