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
London County Council 1897
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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| Age-period. | Vaccinated. | No evidence as to vaccination. * | Vaccination cicatrices absent. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admissions. | Deaths. | Admissions. | Deaths. | Admissions. | Deaths. | |
| 0— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3— | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 4— | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 5— | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| 6— | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| 7— | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 8— | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 |
| 9— | _ | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10— | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — |
| 11— | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| 12— | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 13— | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| 14— | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 15— | 7 | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| 20— | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 25— | 7 | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| 30— | 7 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| 35— | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 40— | 7 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 50 and upwards | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — |
| All ages | 53 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 5 |
The table shows that the unvaccinated smallpox patients are of younger age than the vaccinated,
and that the mortality of the former has been much greater than that of the latter.
I have in recent reports referred to the increasing proportion of children born in London, who
appear in the vaccination returns as "not finally accounted for," a proportion which has especially
increased since the appointment of the Royal Commission on Vaccination. The proportion in successive
years has been as follows ; the figures foretell numerous deaths from smallpox—
| Year. | Children not finally accounted for (including cases postponed) per cent, of total births. | Year. | Children not finally accounted for (including cases postponed) per cent. of total births. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1872 | 8.8 | 1884 | 6.8 |
| 1873 | 8.7 | 1885 | 7.0 |
| 1874 | 8.8 | 1886 | 7.8 |
| 1875 | 9.3 | 1887 | 9.0 |
| 1876 | 6.5 | 1888 | 10.3 |
| 1877 | 7.1 | 1889 | 11.6 |
| 1878 | 7.1 | 1890 | 13.9 |
| 1879 | 7.8 | 1891 | 16.4 |
| 1880 | 7.0 | 1892 | 18.4 |
| 1881 | 5.7 | 1893 | 18.2 |
| 1882 | 6.6 | 1894 | 20.6 |
| 1883 | 6.5 | 1895 | 24.9 |
Measles. The deaths from measles in the Administrative County of London in 1897 numbered 1,933 as compared with 3,697 in 1896, 2,630 in 1895 and 3,303 in 1894. The death rates from this disease per 1,000 living in 1897 and preceding periods have been as follows—
| 1851-60 | 0.53 | 1892 | 0.791 |
| 1861-70 | 0.58 | 1893 | 0.381 |
| 1871-80 | 0.51 | 1894 | 0.761 |
| 1881-90 | 0.64 | 1895 | 0.601 |
| 1891 | 0.431 | 1896 | |
| 1897 | 0.431 |
The death rate in each year since 1840, in relation to the mean of the period 1841-97, is shown
in diagram V.
* Thes e cases include cases stated to have been vaccinated, but bearing no visible evidence of the operation, and also those in
which no statement was made, but the natare of the eruption or other cause prevented any observation of the marks, if any existed.
i See footnote ('), page 7.