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

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Shoreditch 1900

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]

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persons who had been exposed to infection were kept under observation until all
danger of the occurrence of further cases amongst them was at an end. The second
case was that of a young man belonging to Shoreditch, who contracted the disease
whilst he was a patient in the Eastern Fever Hospital. His case probably forms one
of a series to which that of D— —M— —belongs. The third case certified turned
out, on investigation, not to be one of small-pox.
During the year 1900, altogether 87 cases of small-pox were certified in London,
and 4 deaths from the disease were registered.

The sub-joined table shows the deaths from small-pox in Shoreditch from 1856 to 1899:—

Year.Deaths.Year.Deaths.Year.Deaths.Year.Deaths.
1856181867371878281889
18577186884187911890
185822186911880271891
18591051870112188118018924
18602918714391882418933
1861131872321883218942
186281873518846918952
18631251874318853718961
1864818751188618971
1865221876218871898
18667418775118381899

It will be readily seen from the above figures that during the last 11 years deaths
from small-pox have been insignificant in numbers as compared with those of the
previous 33 years. During the 11 years ending 1886 on an average 38 persons died
annually from small-pox, during the next 11 years the annual average was 65, for the
11 years ending 1888 it was 31, whilst during the 11 years ending 1899 about
1 person per annum has died from small-pox.
Judging from the numbers of deaths, small-pox was prevalent in Shoreditch
during the years 1859, 1863, 1866, 1870 and 1871, 1877,1881 and in 1884 and 1885.
From 1886 to 1892 no deaths occurred. During the 8 years 1892 to 1900 13 deaths
have been registered, and the numbers of cases of small-pox certified were 73 in
1892, 25 in 1893, 27 in 1894, 14 in 1895, 1 in 1896. 1 in 1897, 2 in 1899 and 3 in
1900.
As to the extent to which the disease prevailed from year to year in Shoreditch,
prior to the coming into operation of the Notification Act, 1899, no reliable estimate
can be formed as to the numbers of cases which occurred. During the years 1859,
1861, 1862, 1863 and 1894 the cases of small-pox treated by the Poor Law medical
officers of Shoreditch numbered 402, 21, 17, 415 and 49 respectively. Writing on
the subject of the 402 cases treated by the Poor Law medical officers in 1859,