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
Shoreditch 1902
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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fatally. The case mortalities for previous years were: 4.4 per cent. in 1901, 7.1 in
1900, 5 4 in 1899, 6.5 in 1898, 9 9 in 1897, 12 8 in 1896, 7.0 in 1895, 11.5 in 1894, and
11.4 in 1893. The whole of the deaths from diphtheria were amongst children under
10 years of age.
The number of cases and the deaths amongst males and females in the Borough and its four Eegistration Sub-Districts are as follows:—
| Sub-District. | DIPHTHERIA (Including Membranous Croup.) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases Certified. | Fatal Cases. | |||||
| Male. | Female. | Total. | Male. | Female. | Total. | |
| Shoreditch South | 16 | 12 | 28 | 2 | - | 2 |
| Hoxton New Town | 28 | 20 | 48 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Hoxton Old Town | 23 | 26 | 49 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Haggerston | 44 | 54 | 98 | 3 | 9 | 12 |
| Total for the whole Borough | 111 | 112 | 223 | 9 | 15 | 24 |
The cases certified were at the rate of slightly under 2 per 1,000 inhabitants.
Just over 84 per cent. of the cases certified were removed to hospital for treatment as
compared with 83 per cent. in 1901, 86 in 1900, 80 in 1899, 77 in 1898, 67 in 1897,
and 55 in 1896.
In connection with special enquiries made into the circumstances as regards 183 of the cases certified during the year the distribution of the cases amongst males and females at certain age periods was as follows:—
| Age Period. | Male. | Female. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Prom 1 to 2 years | 12 | 7 | 19 |
| „ 2 ,, 3 ,, | 9 | 10 | 19 |
| „ 3 ,, 4 ,, | 16 | 11 | 27 |
| „ 4 „ 5 „ | 8 | 10 | 18 |
| ,, 5 „ 10 „ | 23 | 18 | 41 |
| „ 10 „ 13 „ | 2 | 12 | 14 |
| Over 13 years | 13 | 25 | 38 |
| Total | 88 | 95 | 183 |
With respect to the above cases in 70 the patients were children attending school,
and in 59 they were at school within a week of the onset of symptoms. In a few
instances there is little doubt that the patients were actually at school whilst suffering