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 1911
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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36
snows that Victoria and St. John Wards again suffered most, there
being more persons at a susceptible age in these wards. Of the 145
cases notified, 7 were subsequently found not to be suffering from the
malady, , but in one instance the existence of diphtheria was not
discovered until after death.
| January. | February. | March. | April. | May. | June. | July. | August. | September. | October. | November. | December. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 13 | 10 | 16 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 34 | 19 | 27 | 36 | 21 | 17 | 253 |
| 1902 | 27 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 25 | 20 | 39 | 25 | 9 | 27 | 32 | 28 | 285 |
| 1903 | 17 | 13 | 23 | 8 | 18 | 14 | 21 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 20 | 186 |
| 1904 | 6 | 17 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 18 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 27 | 9 | 6 | 145 |
| 1905 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 118 |
| 1906 | 20 | 23 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 20 | 21 | 14 | 13 | 28 | 22 | 13 | 206 |
| 1907 | 20 | 21 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 18 | 1 | 7 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 145 |
| 1908 | 19 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 23 | 17 | 21 | 187 |
| 1909 | 20 | 18 | 27 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 13 | 11 | 32 | 23 | 7 | 34 | 225 |
| 1910 | 19 | 11 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 149 |
| 1911 .. | 10 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 17 | 34 | 15 | 145 |
There were 14 deaths.
| Diphtheria. | 1902. | 1903. | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths per 100 Cases— | |||||
| The City | 11 .0 | 8 .6 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 7.6 |
| The County | 10.8 | 9.6 | 10.2 | 8.6 | 8.8 |
| Diphtheria. | 1907. | 1908. | 1909. | 1910. | 1911. |
| Deaths per 100 Cases— | |||||
| The City | 11.o | 9.9 | 8.0 | 6.7 | 9.6 |
| The County | 8.9 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 7.8 | 8.2 |
In 4 instances 2 cases, in one 3, and in one 4, occurred in one house.
Bacteriological Examination.—Advantage was taken by medical men
of the means provided by the City Council to have the diagnosis of
their cases assisted by bacteriological examination of swabbings from
the nose or throat in 126 instances.
In 16 instances I had a bacteriological examination made of the
throats of the members of families in which a case. had occurred, or
when children were excluded from school in consequence, and no medical
man was in attendance ; the bacillus was not present in any of them.