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
Heston and Isleworth 1898
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Heston and Isleworth]
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8
Zymotic Death Rate.
In calculating the Zymotic Death Rate I have included the following
diseases, Small pox, Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, Typhus, Enteric and Simple
Fevers, Cholera, Measles, Whooping Cough and Diarrhoea and Dysentery.
The number of deaths from these diseases was 109 which is equivalent
to a Zymotic Death Rate of 373 per 1000 living. This is an extremely high rate and, as the following list shows, it contrasts unfavourably with that of the several preceding years.
| Year. | Zymotic Death Rale. |
|---|---|
| 1898 | 3.73 |
| 1897 | 1.39 |
| 1896 | 2.49 |
| 1895 | 2.7 |
| 1894 | 0.907 |
| 1893 | 1.61 |
| 1892 | 0.26 |
| 1891 | 0.98 |
| 1890 | 2.26 |
| 1889 | 1.23 |
| 1888 | 1.25 |
The deaths from Zymotic diseases were distributed as follows:
| Enteric Fever | 2 |
| Diphtheria | 8 |
| Whooping Cough | 11 |
| Measles | 27 |
| Diarrhoea | 61 |
It will thus be seen that the main cause of the increase in this death
rate is due to the mortality from Measles and Diarrhoea, these two diseases
combined producing a rate of 3.01 the death rate per 1000 from Diarrhoea
alone being 2.09 and that from Measles 0.92, whilst that from Whooping
Cough is o.37 and from Diphtheria 0.27.
I have drawn out the following tables in order to show the age at death
and the month during which death occurred from Measles and Diarrhoea.