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
St Pancras 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]
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37
MORTALITY FROM CONSUMPTION (PHTHISIS) IN RELATION
TO OVERCROWDING.
Sir Shirley Murphy, in his report on the health of the County of London
during 1907, deals with the relation of overcrowding to the death-rate from
Phthisis, the term "overcrowding" applying to that proportion of the
population shown by the census figures of 1901 to be living more than two in
a room in tenements of less than five rooms.
The following table shows the mortality from Phthisis in groups of London sanitary districts, arranged in respect to the proportion of their population living more than two in a room in tenements of less than five rooms, during the years 1901—7.
| Percentage of over-crowding in each group of sanitary areas. | T'rude Phthisis Death-Rate per 1000 persons living. | Standard Death-Rate. | Corrected Death-Rate per 1000 persons living. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 7.5 per cent. | 1.067 | 1.718 | 1.07S |
| 7.5 to 12.5 ,, | 1 349 | 1.705 | 1 373 |
| 12.5 to 20 ,, | 1.456 | 1.771 | 1.426 |
| 20 to 27.5 ,, | 2.009 | 1.805 | 1.931 |
| Over 27.5 „ | 2.015 | 1.651 | 2.118 |
| London | 1.520 | 1.735 | 1.520 |
In the above table the close relationship between "overcrowding" and
Phthisis mortality is conspicuous. It will be seen that in the most overcrowded
group of districts the death-rate from Phthisis is approximately twice
that in the least overcrowded group. Statistics show that the decline in
Phthisis mortality is continuous in London, the rate of mortality in the year
1907 being less than that of any year which has preceded it.
III.— INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
§ I—DISCOVERY AND DIAGNOSIS.
It is well to know that unrecognised cases largely spread infectious diseases.
Discovery.— Mild cases of indisposition or disease excite no particular
attention, or are attributed to other than the real cause by parents, guardians,
or friends, and are not submitted to medical examination. In the autumn
there are generally several instances of parents and guardians failing to
recognise as infectious cases of slight disturbances of health in children until
other children become infected and develop typical symptoms.