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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34
MEASLES.
An increase in the fatality of the disease was expected to take place during the year.
The reduction which did occur may have been due to either (or both) of two causes, one
being a lessened virulence, of which no proof can be adduced except the record of fatality,
and the other the time of year at which the outbreak occurred. From the figures given
below it will be seen that there were rather more cases (8.5 per cent.) in the second and
third quarters of the year than in the first and fourth. As has been stated in former reports
a lower fatality is experienced with such a time distribution, the only exception recorded so
far being the fatality of 1909, but in that year the second and (early part of the)third
quarters were more wintry than the first.
Seasonal Distribution.
| 1st and 4th Quarters. | 2nd and 3rd Quarters. | Total Fatality (Year). | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1904 | 86.8 | 12.9 | 4.3 |
| 1905 | 30.2 | 69.6 | 3.6 |
| 1906 | 31.9 | 67.4 | 2.7 |
| 1907 | 53.1 | 46.8 | 3.1 |
| 1908 | 59.3 | 40.6 | 4.6 |
| 1909 | 36.9 | 62.9 | 5.0 |
| 1910 | 45.7 | 54.2 | 3.6 |
Of the 75 persons whose deaths were certified as due to measles 10 died in institutions
and nothing is known of the duration of their attacks. From the information collected by
the Department it appears that the average interval between onset and death for the
remaining 65 persons was 14.6 days.
The numbers dying at each age were relatively small and hence "errors of sampling" are likely to be large, but the following figures may be
interest, even if no special value can be allowed to the averages obtained.
The numbers dying at each age were relatively small and hence "errors of sampling" are likely to be large, but the following figures may be interest, even if no special value can be allowed to the averages obtained.
| Ages (years.) | No. of deaths. | Males. Total days of sickness. | Average (days.) | Females. | Average (days.) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of deaths. | Total days of sickness. | |||||
| 0— | 2 | 11 | 10.5 | 4 | 46 | 11.5 |
| 1 | 16 | 207 | 20.7 | 15 | 201 | 13.4 |
| 11 | 251 | 22.8 | 3 | 26 | 8.6 | |
| 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | |
| 4 | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 3 | 59 | 19.6 |
| 5 | — | — | — | 4 | 49 | 12.2 |
| 6 | — | — | — | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 7 | — | — | — | 1 | 9 | 9.0 |
| 33 | — | — | — | 1 | 14 | 14.0 |
| Total | 32 | 494 | 15.4 | 33 | 446 | 13.5 |
The above figures suggest that the average duration is longer for males than for females
and that it tends to increase with the age of the patient. The latter surmise is confirmed by
the fact that the above figures give averages (for the two sexes combined) of 12.5 days for
ages under 2 years, and 17 (16.9 more exactly) for ages over 2 years.
Of the 65 cases included in the above tabulation, 32 came to the knowledge of the
Department at early dates after onset, and 33 at late, four when the patients were
practically moribund and the others after death.