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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MEASLES.
31
In the former Ward the rate recorded last year was the lowest on record for that Ward since separate rates were determined
| Queen's Park. | Harrow Road. | Mlaida Vale. | Westbourne. | Church. | Lancaster Gate | Hyde Park. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | West. | ||||||||
| Deaths, 1910 | 17 | 33 | 36 | 29 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 12 | |
| Mortali | ty, 1910 | 1.03 | 1.08 | 1.74 | 1.10 | 0.63 | 1.19 | 1.26 | 0.86 |
| „ Mean, 1905-09 | |||||||||
| the changes in the age-group mortalities are sufficiently indicated in the following figures:— | |||||||||
| Ages : | 25— | 35— | 45— | 55— | 65— | 75— | 85— | ||
| Males. | 1910 | ... | — | 0.34 | 2.51 | 4.66 | 10.34 | 15.92 | — |
| 1905-09 | ... | ||||||||
| Females. | 1910 | ... | 0.05 | 0.57 | 3.44 | 3.64 | 6.71 | 8.33 | 10.15 |
| 1905-09 | ... | ||||||||
In Table 24 are set out the numbers of deaths from each form of malignant new growth
distributed firstly as to sex of the deceased and the seat of the disease, and secondly as to sex
and age of the deceased persons.
MEASLES.
In reporting on the prevalence and fatality of this disease during 1909, it was remarked
that "the progressive decline in fatality from 1903 to 1906, since followed by a progressive
increase, suggests that the disease has entered a phase of increasing severity, an occurrence
which has been noted in almost all diseases which are epidemic in character." The experience
of 1910 lends confirmation to that forecast.
During the past year 2,098 cases were brought to the notice of the Department day by
day, that total being, however, reduced to 2,081 when the revision of the reports of the Staff
was made at the end of the year. There were, in addition, 77 cases of German measles
(rötheln) known to the Department. The cases reported in all quarters, except the third,
were considerably in excess of the averages. (See below).
Cases Reported.
| Quarters | 1. | 2 | 3. | 4. | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uncorrected. | Corrected. | |||||
| 1904 | 723 | 94 | 18 | 23 | 858 | 896 |
| 1905 | 227 | 895 | 292 | 288 | 1,702 | 1,714 |
| 1906 | 105 | 204 | 199 | 89 | 597 | 592 |
| 1907 | 109 | 303 | 276 | 548 | 1,236 | 1,284 |
| 1908 | 413 | 301 | 32 | 820 | 779 | |
| 1909 | 133 | 366 | 76 | 127 | 702 | 709 |
| 1910 | 571 | 1066 | 72 | 389 | 2098 | 2085 |
The house distribution of multiple attacks affords evidence of a higher infectivity in the
disease. Excluding one institution where 43 cases occurred, the 2,042 remaining cases
occurred in 1,084 houses, giving an average of 1.9 cases per house, as compared with 1.8 in
1909 and 1.6 in 1908. The secondary cases were equal to 46.8 per cent. of the 2,042 cases,
the corresponding proportions in 1909 and 1908 having been 44.9 and 40.9 per cent.