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
Paddington 1910
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
This page requires JavaScript
32
MEASLES.
The house distribution of multiple attacks in each of the seven years 1904-1910 is given below.
| 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | 1907. | 1908. | 1909. | 1910. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses with 2 cases | 166 | 257 | 100 | 194 | 130 | 104 | 290 | ||
| „ 3 „ | 59 | 143 | 48 | 97 | 55 | 55 | 164 | ||
| „ 4 „ | 25 | 43 | 15 | 30 | 15 | 21 | 55 | ||
| „ 5 „ | 5 | 16 | 4 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 22 | ||
| „ 6 „ | 3 | 4 | — | 7 | — | — | 7 | ||
| „ 7 „ | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 6 | ||
| „ 8 „ | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | ||
| „ 9 „ | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | ||
The Ward distribution (See Table 26) cannot be accepted without some consideration
as to the completeness with which cases are reported from the various Wards. The
main channel through which cases are reported to the Department being the Public Elementary
Schools, it is believed that the numbers of cases recorded in Queen's Park, Harrow Road, and
Church Wards are very close approximations to the actual numbers of cases, but that in
the other Wards where a greater proportion of children attend private schools, the truth is
understated.* The incidence of the disease was unequal on the different parts of the
Borough, and was not in the form of a general epidemic. The morbidity rates for the
three Wards named were 19.5, 17.2, and 16.4 respectively, suggesting that the incidence
of the disease was greatest on the northern parts of the Borough. In each of those Wards
the rates were in excess of that for the Borough as a whole (13.6 per 1,000). More cases
have been reported from the two Lancaster Gate Wards in previous years. (Table 26.)
The deaths last year numbered 75, as compared with 36 in each of the two preceding
years. Doubtless there were other deaths attributable to the disease, and for that reason
enquiries were made on several occasions during the worst of the outbreak with reference to
deaths certified to have been due to bronchitis or broncho-pneumonia. In five cases
the previous attack of the disease was found to have occurred although not mentioned in the
death certificate. Such cases have not been included in the total given above.
The 75 deaths comprised 38 of males and 37 of females, and the fatality rates were 3.6
per cent. for persons, 3.5 for males and 3.6 for females. All those rates were below the
corresponding figures for the preceding two years. (See below.)
Fatality per 100 cases.
| 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | 1907. | 1908. | 1909. | 1910. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | 5.2 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 3.5 |
| Females | 3.5 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 3.6 |
| Personal | 4.3 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 3.6 |
Referring to Table 25 it will be seen that there were notable decreases in the fatality
rates for infants under one year of age, and for those aged 1-2 years. The highest fatality
rate (Table 26) in any Ward was that of Church (7.4), those for the two Lancaster Gate
Wards being next. Such high fatalities as 5.5 and 5.8 in those two Wards may be
* Suggestions to make measles notifiable are met with the argument that the majority of cases of the disease
receive no medical treatment. The experience of the Department does not support that argument. Last year
approximately two-thirds of the invaded households sought medical advice. In any case notification by the
medical profession would be of value as it is the rule in families sending their children to the private schools to
secure advice for their children when attacked by the disease. Notification would, therefore, fill up the gap left
by the reports from the Public Elementary Schools and would also be valuable during school holidays—even
if such notification were incomplete.