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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Diphtheria—Seasonal variation in fatality.
The following tables shows the seasonal variation in fatality in diphtheria during 1897 and
1891-7, uncorrected for differences of age and sex distribution. It will be observed that, as in the
preceding year, the fatality is greater at the beginning and end of the year, the fatality curve being
strikingly regular. In the period 1891-7 the interruption of the curve in the month of August due to
the closure of the schools is well marked. Diagram XIII. shows the notified cases and fatality in each
month of the years 1891-7 in relation to the mean of that period.
| Month. | No. of weeks. | Cases. | Deaths. | Case mortality per cent. | Mean case mortality taken as 100. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4 | 971 | 213 | 21.94 | 130 |
| February | 4 | 967 | 179 | 18.51 | 110 |
| March | 5 | 1,129 | 194 | 17.18 | 102 |
| April | 4 | 739 | 135 | 18.27 | 109 |
| May | 4 | 849 | 142 | 16.73 | 99 |
| June | 5 | 1,127 | 167 | 14.82 | 88 |
| July | 4 | 1,171 | 159 | 13.58 | 81 |
| August | 4 | 918 | 130 | 14.16 | 84 |
| September | 5 | 1,386 | 205 | 14.79 | 88 |
| October | 4 | 1,369 | 221 | 16.14 | 96 |
| November | 4 | 1,204 | 195 | 16.20 | 96 |
| December | 5 | 1,362 | 279 | 20.48 | 122 |
| Month. | Cases. | Deaths. | Case mortality per cent. | Mean case-mortality taken as 100. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5,678 | 1,322 | 23.28 | 111 |
| February | 4,856 | 1,104 | 22.73 | 108 |
| March | 5,271 | 1,173 | 22.25 | 106 |
| April | 4,997 | 1,082 | 21.65 | 103 |
| May | 5,821 | 1,212 | 20.82 | 99 |
| June | 6,103 | 1,208 | 19.79 | 94 |
| July | 7,086 | 1,356 | 19.14 | 91 |
| August | 6,253 | 1,282 | 20.50 | 98 |
| September | 7,967 | 1,545 | 19.39 | 92 |
| October | 8,453 | 1,685 | 19.93 | 95 |
| November | 7,762 | 1,638 | 21.10 | 101 |
| December | 7,111 | 1,626 | 22.87 | 109 |
Whooping Cough.
The deaths from whooping cough in the Administrative County of London in 1897 numbered
1,848, compared with 2,934 in 1896.
The death rates from this disease in 1897 and preceding periods were as follows —
| Period. | Death rate per 1,000 living. | Period. | Death rate per 1,000 living. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851-60 | 0.88 | 1893 | 0.541 |
| 1861-70 | 0.88 | 1894 | 0.491 |
| 1871-80 | 0.81 | 1895 | 0.341 |
| 1881-90 | 0.69 | 1896 | 0.651 |
| 1891 | 0.681 | 1897 | 0.411 |
| 1892 | 0.581 |
The death rate in each year in relation to the mean death rate of the period 1841-97 is shown
in diagram XIV.
It will be seen from the following table that the London death rate from whooping cough
exceeded the death rate of any of the undermentioned towns, except Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham,
West Ham and Salford in 1887-96, and in the year 1897 exceeded that of any except Manchester,
Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Nottingham and Salford.
1 See footnote (1), page 7.