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
Lambeth 1914
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth, Metropolitan Borough of]
This page requires JavaScript
57
The statistics for London, as a whole, are no less noteworthy.
During 1914 no school was closed on account of diphtheria, but
exclusion of "sore throats " was resorted to in the case of 13 schools
(13 classrooms), a total of 40 children, of whom 28 shewed, on bacteriological
examination, the presence of the true Klebs-Loeffler
bacillus in the throat or nose, or both, and 12 the presence of the
Hoffman (pseudo-diphtheria) bacillus. These 40 children were not
allowed to resume attendance at school until certificates (based on
bacteriological examination) had been furnished stating that they
were free from infection.
No school was disinfected during 1914 in connection with an
outbreak of diphtheria.
An outbreak of diphtheria (6 cases) in connection with the
nursing staff of a General Hospital occurred during 1914, and was
stamped out by isolation of the patients, disinfection and medical
inspection of all the other nurses, together with bacteriological
examinations. The source of the outbreak was not traced.
The age and sex incidence and mortality from diphtheria cases
notified in the Borough of Lambeth during 1914 are as follow:—
Diphtheria.
| Ages. | No. of Cases Notified. | Deaths. | Death Rate per 100. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | Total. | M. | F. | Total. | ||
| Under 1 year | 7 | 6 | 13 | 2 | — | 2 | 15.4 |
| 1 to 5 | 89 | 51 | 140 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 15.0 |
| 5 to 10 | 118 | 109 | 227 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 10.6 |
| 10 to 20 | 52 | 57 | 109 | 2 | — | 2 | 1.9 |
| 20 to 40 | 12 | 41 | 53 | — | 1 | 1 | 1.9 |
| 40 to 60 | 3 | 5 | 8 | — | — | — | 0.6 |
| 60 and over | - | - | — | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 281 | 269 | 550 | 31 | 19 | 50 | 9.1 |