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
City of Westminster 1910
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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comparison to calculate the deaths on the number of children estimated to be living under five years of age:—
| 1903. | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | 1907. 1908. | 1909. 1910. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster | 3.7 | 1.8 | 3.5 | 1.4 | 1.7 2.0 | 2.1 1.9 |
| London | 4.0 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.4 2.8 | 4.3 3.7 |
The average rate being 2.0 for "Westminster and 3.6 for the County
of London.
Disinfection of 84 rooms in 36 houses, and of 1991 articles, was
carried out by the Council's staff.
Visits were paid by the women inspectors in cases notified from
schools : advise is given verbally and printed instructions are left at the
house. Wherever necessary, the Inspectors visit throughout the illness,
see that medical attendance is obtained, and that proper attention is
given to the cleanliness of the rooms, bedding, &c. It may, I think, be
claimed that the low mortality in Westminster is the result of this
attention.
Whooping-cough.—This complaint was responsible for 19 deaths,
all of them of children under five years of age; 163 cases were
notified to me (for particulars as to schools affected see list below).
Disinfection of 8 rooms was carried out.
In London, the fatal cases were slightly less than the corrected
average number.
Particulars relative to this disease for the years 1903-10 are:—
| 1903. | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | 1907. | 1908. | 1909. | 1910. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster— | ||||||||
| Cases notified | 83 | 56 | 210 | 92 | 251 | 62 | 163 | |
| Deaths | 33 | 17 | 35 | 23 | 27 | 23 | 19 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 population | 0.09 | 0.19 | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.05 | 0.13 | 0.11 | |
| London | 0.35 | 0.33 | 0.32 | 0.26 | 0.38 | 0.20 | 0.25 |
Calculated on the number of children under five years of age, the death-rates per 1,000 were:—
| Westminster | 2.63 | 1.37 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| London | 3.22 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
Children suffering from whooping-cough are also visited by the
women inspectors.