London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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London County Council 1899

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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17
As in previous years, there was in a number of cases notified error in diagnosis. Examination
of all the facts concerning small-pox in 1899 leads to the conclusion that the actual cases of this
disease were as follows—
April—Whitechapel —A girl, aged 14 years, source of infection unknown. Poplar—A
man, aged about 31 years, was infected in Antwerp.
May—Fulham—A man, aged 26 years, source of infection unknown; the patient had
only been in Fulham two days before he sickened. Marylebone—A man, aged 32 years, had
arrived on the 25th May from New York, where he probably was infected.
June—Lewisham—A man, aged 46 years; he worked in Deptford; source of infection
unknown. Islington—A man aged 49 years, an inmate of the Holborn Infirmary in Islington.
November—Poplar—A man, aged 30 years, an engineer's steward who had been infected
on board the s.s. "Arundel Castle" in which a passenger had suffered from small-pox. Whitechapel—A
man, aged 24 years; he arrived in London from Jerusalem ill with small-pox.
He was removed to the German Hospital, where his illness was thought to be scarlet fever.
He was then transferred to the Eastern Hospital, where the disease was subsequently
recognised to be small-pox. He was then taken to the hospital ship, where he died.
December—Seven patients in the Eastern Hospital were infected by this man, and were
removed to the Gore Farm Hospital.
Thus in addition to four cases in the Port of London, fifteen persons suffered from small-pox in
London, all of whom were removed to hospital.

Since 1880 the Registrar-General has classified the deaths from small-pox under three heads, viz., "vaccinated," "unvaccinated," and " no statement." The totals for the 19 years, 1881-99, are as follows—

Small-pox deaths, London,1881-99.

Age-period.All ages.0-11-55-2020-4040-6060-8080 and upwards.
Vaccinated1,2852233229732227393
Unvaccinated2,031337486669415105181
No statement1,907244227455666250623

The following table, in which the number of deaths at each age-period is expressed as a percentage of the total deaths from small-pox at "all ages," more clearly indicates the relative age incidence of the disease in the three classes under consideration—

"All ages" taken as100.

Age-period.All ages.0-11-55-2020-4040-6060-8080 and upwards.
Vaccinated1001.72.617.857.017.73.00.2
Unvaccinated10016.623.933.020.45.20.90.0
No statement10012.811.923.834.913.13.30.2

" Vaccinated " and " no statement " combined.

" Vaccinated " and "No statement"1008.38.121.443.815.03.20.2
Unvaccinated10016.623.933.020.45.20.90.0

In previous reports I have 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 for the years subsequent to 1897 are
not yet available.

London vaccination returns.

year.Children not finally accounted for (including cases postponed) per cent, of total births.Year.Children not finally accounted for (including cases postponed) percent, of total births.
18728.818857.0
18738.718867.8
18748.818879.0
18759.3188810.3
18766.5188911.6
18777.1189013.9
18787.1189116.4
18797.8189218.4
18807.0189318.2
18815.7189420.6
18826.6189524.9
18836.5189626.4
18846.8189729.1

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