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 1920
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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MEASLES. 20
faeen—1909-13, 96; 1914-18, 96, and 1919-20, 74, showing a reduction in the last period of
23 per cent. only. The sex mortalities are shown below.
Infantile Mortality.
| Males | Females | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legit. | Illegit. | Legit. | Illegit. | |
| 1909-13 | 108 | 269 | 84 | 263 |
| 1914-18 | 106 | 276 | 85 | 241 |
| 1919-20 | 82 | 237 | 65 | 139 |
Comparing the last with the first period, the reductions recorded are equivalent to 25 and 23
per cent, for legitimate males and females respectively, and 12 and 48 for illegitimate males
and females.
Children, aged 1-5 Years.—The mortality at ages 1-2 years for 1919-20 was notably
lower than the rates recorded during 1909-13 and 1914-18, but those at the other ages show
irregular variations. (See below.)
Mortality Rates. Per 1,000 survivors.
| Ages | 1.2 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 4.5 |
| 1909-13 | 31.5 | 11.9 | 6.4 | 5.8 |
| 1914-18 | 85.2 | 14.4 | 10.9 | 6.2 |
| 1919-20 | 18.7 | 12.3 | 5.5 | 6.8 |
| 1919 | 18.5 | 12.2 | 6.1 | 8.0 |
| 1920 | 19.0 | 12.5 | 4.6 | 5.7 |
The total mortality for the group 1-5 years was 10.7 per 1,000 survivors in 1919 and 10.5
in 1920—10.6 for the years 1919-20, as compared with 11.8 during 1909-13 and 13.7 during
1914-18. It remains to be seen whether the foregoing changes are more than periodical
variations.
Measles.—Until the end of 1919, this disease was notified under the Measles Regulations
of 1915, which required notification of first cases of "measles" and " German measles." In
November, 1919, the Ministry of Health issued an Order whereby the regulations of 1915 were
repealed as from January 1st, 1920. On December 23rd, 1919 the Council made an Emergency
Order under Sec. 56(5) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, to secure continuation of
notification, but that Order was not required as the Ministry of Health issued an Interim Order
dated December 31st, continuing the Regulations of 1915, within the Borough until the end of
March 1920. Under date of March 29th, 1920, the notification of all cases of measles and
German measles was made permanent by "The Metropolitan Borough of Paddington (Measles
and German Measles) Regulations, 1920."
Formal notification by the medical profession is supplemented by reports from the Public
Elementary Schools (" Form 84 ") and by enquiries by the Women Inspectors, who visit all
notified and reported cases and report secondary cases when no medical practitioner is in
attendance. Under the Regulations parents and guardians are required to report cases in
their families and households.
The finally corrected totals of cases of measles and German measles reported during 1919 and 1920 were—
For the purposes of comparison with the previous records, the two must be combined. The
cases reported during 1919-20 give an average of 1,962 as compared with averages of 1,336
during 1909-13 and 2,125 during 1914-18. There is good reason to believe that there was a
very considerable deficit (roughly estimated at 40 per cent.) in the numbers reported during
1909-13. (See also Table III., Appendix).