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 1910

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]

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Table: of the four quarters of the year, and the numbers and percentages of such cases which were removed to hospital for treatment :—

of the four quarters of the year, and the numbers and percentages of such cases which were removed to hospital for treatment :—

Disease.First Quarter.Second Quarter.Third Quarter.Fourth Quarter.Total.Deaths.
Small Pox..11..2..
Scarlet Fever or Scar- latina357057482104
Diphtheria & Membra- nous Croup4220244112714
Typhus............
Cholera............
Enteric Fever (Typhoid)822019498
Continued Fever............
Relapsing Fever............
Puerperal Fever212382
Erysipelas303028391271
Plague............
Cerebro Spinal Fever....2352
Glanders............
Anthrax............
Hydrophobia............
Totals11712413415352831
Numbers and percentages ) of cases removed to > hospitals )8393105119400
71%75%78%78%76%

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The cases of scarlet fever were fewer in number by 129 as compared with the
number for 1909, and there was a marked decrease in the number of cases of
diphtheria, and also in the number of cases of erysipelas and puerperal fever. The
deaths from notifiable infectious disease were less in point of numbers than in any
year since notification became compulsory and compared with the average of fifteen
to twenty years ago the decrease is very striking. The deaths from the principal
zymotic diseases which are notifiable, namely—smallpox, scarlet fever, diphtheria
and enteric fever were at the rate of 0"23 per 1,000 inhabitants, whereas the rate
for the principal zymotic diseases, which are not notifiable, namely—measles,
whooping cough and diarrhoea was 1 '68, or more than seven times as great.
ISOLATION OF INFECTIOUS CASES.
Most of the cases of notifiable infectious disease removed to hospital are received
by the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board. Cases of enteric fever, puerperal
fever and erysipelas not infrequently go to the Shoreditch infirmary and general
hospitals in the neighbourhood of the Borough. The infectious diseases cases of
which are receivable into the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board are :—
smallpox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, enteric fever and cerebro spinal fever. The
number of cases of these diseases certified (Appendix, Table III.) was 393, and the