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 1911
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
25
Scarlet fever
Multiple
cases.
The number of dwellings in which multiple cases occurred is shown in some of the reports, as follows:—
| Metropolitan borough. | One case. | Two cases. | Three cases. | Four cases. | Five cases. | More than five cases. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddington | 133 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 (7 cases). |
| Fulham | 282 | 34 | 10 | 1 | — | — |
| Westminster | 179 | 19 | 6 | 2 | — | — |
| Hampstead | 84 | 12 | 1 | - | - | 1 (6 cases). |
| Islington | 546 | 80 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 1 (8 cases). |
| Holborn | 83 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
Thus of 1,530 houses invaded, multiple cases occurred in 223 or 14.6 per cent. In 1910, the
number of houses in which multiple cases occurred was 134 per cent. of the houses invaded in the
districts concerning which the facts were stated in the annual reports.
It will be seen from diagram (K) that the proportion of cases of scarlet fever admitted to the
hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board was about the same as in the preceding year.
Proportion
of cases
admitted to
hospital.
Errors of
diagnosis.
Cases certified to be those of scarlet fever and admitted into the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board in which the diagnosis was not subsequently confirmed, constituted in successive years the following percentage of the total cases admitted:—
| Year. | Percentage. | | Year. | Percentage. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 5.6 | 1907 | - - 6.8 |
| 1902 | 4.7 | 1908 | 5.8 |
| 1903 | 6 .4 | 1909 | 6.9 |
| 1904 | 6.7 | 1910 | 9.5 |
| 1905 | 5.4 | 1911 | 8.7 |
| 1906 | 4.9 |
Diphtheria.
The cases of diphtheria (including membranous croup) notified in the Administrative County of
London in 1911 (52 weeks) numbered 7,385, compared with 5,494 in 1910 (52 weeks). The number
of deaths was 612 in 1911 (52 weeks), compared with 434 in 1910 (52 weeks;.
It should be borns in mind that the case-rate and case-mortality may be affected by variations
in the extent of use of bacteriological methods of diagnosis, the effect of which is to increase the
notified number of clinically mild cases of the disease.
The diphtheria case-rates, death-rates, and case-mortality in 1910, and preceding periods, are shown in the following table:—
| Period | Death-rate per 1,000 persons living. | Case-rato per 1,000 persons living. | Case-mortalityper cent. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1861-1870 | 0.18 | ||
| 1871-1880 | 0.12 | —a | |
| 1881-1890 | 0.26 | —a | |
| 1891-1900 | 0.49b | 2.6 | 18.8 |
| 1901-1910 | 0.17b | 1.8 | 9.3 |
| 1901 | 0.29b | 2.7 | 10.9 |
| 1902 | 0.25b | 2.3 | 10.8 |
| 1903 | 0.16b | 1.7 | 9.6 |
| 1904 | 0.16b | 1.6 | 10.0 |
| 1905 | 0.12b | 1.4 | 8.4 |
| 1906 | 0.15b | 1.8 | 8.6 |
| 1907 | 0.17b | 1.9 | 8.9 |
| 1908 | 0.16b | 1.7 | 9.0 |
| 1909 | 0.13b | 1.5 | 9.1 |
| 1910 | 0.10b | 1.2 | 7.9 |
| 1911 | 0.146 | 16 | 8.3 |
Diptheria
death rates
in London.
The death-rate in each year since 1858 in relation to the mean death-rate of the period 18591911
is shown for diphtheria and also for diphtheria and croup combined in diagram (M).
The monthly case-rate and case-mortality in each of the years 1891-1911 in relation to the mean
of the period is shown in diagram (0).
If the London diphtheria death-rate be compared with the death-rates of the following large
English towns it will be seen that in the auinauennium 1906-10 the London rate was exceeded by that
(a) The Infectious Disease (Notification) Act came into force in 1889.
12532
(b) See footnote (c), page 2.
D