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 1905
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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1
Variations in the Age-Incidence of Certain of the Principal Epidemic Diseases.
The annual report for the year 1897 contained an Appendix (I.) giving account of the
variations in the age-incidence of the mortality from measles, whooping cough, scarlet fever and
diphtheria, and more particularly the changes of age-incidence which had occurred since the decennial
period 1861-70 which was adopted as the standard of comparison. This period was especially selected
on account of being the decennium immediately antecedent to the year in which the Elementary
Education Act of 1870 came into operation. In the appendix referred to tables dealing with the
figures for the years 1851-1896 were included, and in view of the fact that the figures for a further
period of ten years are now available it is of interest to review the conclusion there stated in the light
of the more recent behaviour of the diseases mentioned.
The following tables, therefore, show the death-rates in successive periods at each age for each
of the diseases referred to, and the increase or decrease per cent, in the death-rates of periods
subsequent to the period 1861-70 when compared with the death-rates obtaining in that decennium.
This is also shown graphically ia the accompanying diagram A.
Table I. London. (A.) Measles—Death rates per 1,000,000 living.
| Period. | All ages. | 0— | 1— | 2— | 3— | 4— | 5— | 10— | 15— | 20 and upwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1861-70 | 572 | 3,481 | 8,691 | 4,847 | 2,469 | 1,281 | 245 | 23 | 8 | 4 |
| 1871-80 | 508 | 3,646 | 7,712 | 3,643 | 1,988 | 1,044 | 256 | 18 | 6 | 4 |
| 1881-90 | 634 | 4,543 | 9,909 | 4,759 | 2,733 | 1,618 | 366 | 18 | 5 | 3 |
| 1891-1900 | 583 | 4,937 | 10,694 | 4,362 | 2,552 | 1,464 | 274 | 11 | 3 | 3 |
| 1901-05 | 447 | 4,181 | 8,793 | 3,513 | 1,820 | 1,088 | 187 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| 1871-80 | —11.2 | + 4.7 | —11.3 | —24.8 | —19.5 | —18.5 | + 4.5 | —21.7 | —25.0 | — 0.0 |
| 1881-90 | + 10.8 | + 30.5 | + 14.0 | — 1.8 | + 10.7 | + 26.3 | + 49.4 | —21.7 | —37.5 | —25.0 |
| 1891-1900 | + 1.9 | + 41.8 | + 23.0 | —10.0 | + 3.4 | + 14.3 | + 11.8 | —52.2 | —62.5 | —25.0 |
| 1901-05 | — 21.9 | + 20.1 | + 1.2 | —27.5 | —26.3 | —15.1 | —23.7 | —65.2 | —75.0 | —50.0 |
Table II. London. (A) Whooping Cough—Death rate per 1,000,000 living.
| Period. | All ages | 0— | 1 1_ | 2— | 3— | 4— | 5— | J 10— | 15— | 20 and upwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871-80 | — 7.2 | + 2.9 | — 9.0 | —19.2 | —18.1 | — 12.5 | — 5.2 | —25.0 | —75.0 | 0.0 |
| 1881-90 | —21.2 | — 6.3 | —19.8 | —30.9 | —22.5 | —18.0 | —17.5 | —50.0 | —75.0 | 0.0 |
| 1891-1900 | —43.0 | —20.2 | —35.6 | —50.6 | —48.2 | —42.8 | —42.5 | —75.0 | —75.0 | 0.0 |
| 1901-05 | —59.8 | —38.8 | —51.2 | — 66.6 | —64.9 | —67.6 | — 61.9 | —91.7 | —100.0 | — 100.0 |
| Table II. London. (A) Whooping Cough—Deatd rate per 1,000,000 living. | ||||||||||
| Period. | All ages | 0— | 1 1_ | 2— | 3— | 4— | 5— | J 10— | 15— | 20 and upwards |
| 1861-70 | 876 | 10,145 | 11,237 | 5,720 | 2,941 | 1,520 | 268 | 12 | 4 | 1 |
| 1871-80 | 813 | 10,443 | 10,221 | 4,620 | 2,409 | 1,330 | 254 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| 1881-90 | 690 | 9,504 | 9,010 | 3,951 | 2,280 | 1,246 | 221 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 1891-1900 | 499 | 8,097 | 7,239 | 2,827 | 1,524 | 869 | 154 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1901-05 | 352 | 6,210 | 5,482 | 1,910 | 1,031 | 493 | 102 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| (B) Increase or decrease per cent, of deatd rates at each age-period in 1871-80, 1881-90,1891-1900, and 1901-5, compared witd tde deatd rates at each age-period in 1861-70. | ||||||||||
| 1871-80 | — 7.2 | + 2.9 | — 9.0 | —19.2 | —18.1 | — 12.5 | — 5.2 | —25.0 | —75.0 | 0.0 |
| 1881-90 | —21.2 | — 6.3 | —19.8 | —30.9 | —22.5 | —18.0 | —17.5 | —50.0 | —75.0 | 0.0 |
| 1891-1900 | —43.0 | —20.2 | —35.6 | —50.6 | —48.2 | —42.8 | —42.5 | —75.0 | —75.0 | 0.0 |
| 1901-05 | —59.8 | —38.8 | —51.2 | — 66.6 | —64.9 | —67.6 | — 61.9 | —91.7 | —100.0 | — 100.0 |