London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
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]
This page requires JavaScript
Table III. London. (A) Scarlet fever—Death rates per 1,000,000 living.
| Period. | All ages. | 0— | 1— | 2— | 3— | 4— | 5— | 10— | 15— | 20 and upwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1861-70 | 1,135 | 2,308 | 6,444 | 7,937 | 7,174 | 5,878 | 2,637 | 536 | 177 | 56 |
| 1871-80 | 601 | 1,149 | 3,269 | 4,057 | 3,916 | 3,288 | 1,402 | 254 | 81 | 30 |
| 1881-90 | 328 | 652 | 1,937 | 2,277 | 2,293 | 1,880 | 731 | 135 | 50 | 16 |
| 1891-1900 | 169 | 386 | 1,061 | 1,345 | 1,312 | 971 | 369 | 82 | 31 | 10 |
| 1901-05 | 95 | 226 | 646 | 858 | 770 | 475 | 221 | 43 | 19 | 6 |
| (B) Increase or decrease per cent, of death rates at each age-period in 1871-80, 1881-90, 1891-90, and 1901-5 compared with the death rates at each age-period in 1861-70. | ||||||||||
| 1871-80 | —47.0 | —50.2 | —49.3 | —48.9 | —45.4 | —44.1 | —46.8 | —52.6 | —54.2 | —46.4 |
| 1881-90 | —71.1 | —71.8 | —69.9 | —71.3 | —68.0 | —68.0 | —72.3 | —74.8 | —71.8 | —71.4 |
| 1891-1900 | —85.1 | —83.3 | —83.5 | —83.1 | —81.7 | —83.5 | —86.0 | —84.7 | — 82.5 | —82.1 |
| 1901.05 | —91.6 | —90.2 | —90.0 | —89.2 | —89.3 | —91.9 | —91.6 | —92.0 | —89.3 | —89.3 |
Table IV. London. (A) Diphtheria and Croup—Death rates per 1,000,000 living.
| Period. | All ages. | 0- | 1— | 2— | 3— | 4— | 5— | 10— | 15— | 20 and upwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1861-70 | 430 | 2,109 | 3,911 | 3,281 | 2,558 | 1,731 | 504 | 71 | 35 | 26 |
| 1871-80 | 299 | 1,089 | 2,373 | 2,081 | 1,873 | 1,500 | 475 | 59 | 24 | 17 |
| 1881-90 | 419 | 1,175 | 3,108 | 2,975 | 2,875 | 2,398 | 798 | 100 | 32 | 20 |
| 1891-1900 | 534 | 1,392 | 4,015 | 3,784 | 3,816 | 3,360 | 1,270 | 180 | 45 | 20 |
| 1901-05 | 197 | 624 | 1,608 | 1,452 | 1,420 | 1,231 | 499 | 66 | 13 | 6 |
| (B) Increase or decrease per cent, of death rates at each age-period in 1871-80, 1881-90, 1891-90 and 1901-5, compared with the death rates at each age-period in 1861-70. | ||||||||||
| 1871-80 | —30.5 | —48.4 | —39.3 | —36.6 | —26.8 | —13.3 | — 5.8 | — 16.9 | —31.4 | —34.6 |
| 1881-90 | — 2.6 | —44.3 | —20.5 | — 9.3 | + 12.4 | + 38.5 | + 58.3 | + 40.8 | — 8.6 | —23.1 |
| 1891-1900 | + 24.2 | —34.0 | + 2.7 | +15.3 | + 49.2 | + 94.1 | + 152.0 | + 153.5 | + 28.6 | —23.1 |
| 1901-05 | —54.2 | —70.4 | —58.9 | —55.7 | —44.5 | —28.9 | — 1.0 | — 7.0 | —62.9 | —76.9 |
The diagram is based upon the figures contained in Tables I. (B), II. (B), III. (B) and IV. (B).
In the case of each curve the distance of each successive point of the curve above or below the dotted line
represents the increase or decrease per cent, in the death-rates at successive age groups obtaining in
the period to which the curve relates compared with the corresponding death-rates obtaining in the
period 1861-70.
In the case of measles, whooping cough and diphtheria and croup, to ensure greater clearness
and to avoid intersection of the curves, a separate dotted line is drawn for each curve, the dotted lines
following the same chronological order as the curves, i.e., the first curve shown, for each of these
diseases, relating to the period 1871-80, is drawn in relation to the first dotted line; the second curve
(1881-90) in relation to the second dotted line, &c. In the case of scarlet fever each of the curves
have been drawn in relation to the same dotted line, the use of more than one dotted line being
unnecessary owing to the progressive decline of the scarlet fever death-rates at each age period.
Each square in the diagrams represents 10 per cent.
Referring to a similar diagram published in the 1897 report previously referred to, the
following statement was made:—
" It will be seen that there has been a tendency to relative increase of incidence of mortality
both in measles and whooping cough on ages 3-, 4- and 5- as in the case of diphtheria. The increase
at these ages is however not manifest in the case of scarlet fever. There has also been relative
increase of incidence of mortality on the first two years of life in measles and whooping cough which
again is not manifest in the case of scarlet fever. In seeking for an explanation of the relative
increase of incidence of measles and whooping cough mortality upon the first two years of life the
probability that it is the result of increased opportunity of infection due to increased density of
population naturally suggests itself, children of this age being less easily protected from exposure to
infection than before. Explanation is however still wanted for the relatively increased incidence on