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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38
four weeks subsequent to the weeks most subject to holiday influence be compared, the following
results are obtained for the age periods of 0—3, 3—13, and 13 years and upwards. It will be
observed that the decrease in the number of cases notified during the period of holiday influence is
confined to the school age.
| Period. | Notified cases—Ages. | Increase or decrease per cent. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0—3. | 3—13. | 13 and upwards. | 0—3. | 3—13. | 13 and upwards. | |
| 67 | 329 | 82 | — | — | — | |
| 89 | 212 | 84 | + 32.8 | -35.6 | + 2.4 | |
| 90 | 334 | 87 | + 1.1 | + 57.5 | + 3.6 | |
On p. ,54 it is shown that there was decline during the holiday month in the number of cases
of scarlet fever notified in places to which people resort at this time. The same fact is observable
when the number of cases of diphtheria is considered. Reference to the subject will also be found on
page 30 of Appendix II.
The following figures relate to the same places as those mentioned in connection
with scarlet fever:—
The following figures relate to the same places as those mentioned in connection with scarlet fever:—
| Period. | London. | Holiday resorts. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases. "All Ages." | Increase or decrease per cent. | Cases. "All Age*." | Increase or decrease per cent. | |
| 478 | - | 121 | -. | |
| 385 | — 19.5 | 106 | — 12.4 | |
| 511 | + 32.7 | 163 | +[53.8 | |
Diphtheria—Age and sex distribution.
The following table shows the notified cases, deaths, case-rates, death-rates, and fatality of diphtheria
at the several ages and for each sex in London during the year 1905. The incidence of attack at "all
ages" was, as in preceding years, greater on females than on males. The incidence of deaths was
the same on both sexes at "all ages," while the fatality was higher among males than among females.
In the age groups adopted for the purposes of this table the greatest incidence of attack was upon males
of three and females of four years of age; the greatest incidence of death was upon both males and
females of one year of age. The fatality was greatest among both males and females of under one
year of age.
| Age.period. | Males. | Females. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notified Cases. | Deaths. | Case mortality per cent. | Rates per 100,000 living. | Notified Cases. | Deaths. | Case mortality per cent. | Rates per 100,000 living. | |||
| Cases. | Deaths. | Cases. | Deaths. | |||||||
| 0— | 106 | 28 | 26.4 | 186 | 49 | 73 | 25 | 34.2 | 129 | 44 |
| l— | 252 | 54 | 21.4 | 501 | 107 | 205 | 54 | 26.3 | 407 | 107 |
| 2— | 341 | 45 | 13.2 | 671 | 88 | 300 | 53 | 17.7 | 592 | 105 |
| 3— | 388 | 42 | 10.8 | 783 | 85 | 347 | 49 | 1.41 | 692 | 98 |
| 4— | 377 | 37 | 9.8 | 778 | 76 | 360 | 31 | 8.6 | 746 | 64 |
| 5— | 907 | 57 | 6.3 | 390 | 25 | 1,160 | 60 | 5.2 | 505 | 26 |
| 10— | 289 | 7 | 2.4 | 135 | 3 | 393 | 7 | 1.8 | 180 | 3 |
| 15— | 114 | 1 | 0.9 | 53 | 0 | 170 | 1 | 0.6 | 71 | 0 |
| 20— | 106 | 2 | 1.9 | 47 | 1 | 140 | — | — | 52 | — |
| 25— | 96 | 2 | 2.1 | 25 | 1 | 205 | 1 | 0.5 | 45 | 0 |
| 35— | 33 | 1 | 3.0 | 11 | 0 | 71 | 3 | 4.2 | 22 | 1 |
| 45— | 11 | — | — | 5 | _ | 25 | 1 | 4.0 | 11 | 0 |
| 55 and upwards | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | 10 | - | — | 4 | — |
1 See footnote (2) page 35.