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

View report page

Wimbledon 1908

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wimbledon]

This page requires JavaScript

It is interesting to note the effects of notification, isolation, and treatment of the disease since the Notification of Infectious Diseases Act came into force in January, 1890. Records of cases in Hospital some few years before that date are complete, but as we have no available information as to the total number of persons attacked, the following table only deals with cases from the adoption of the above Act.

Year.Total Cases.Cases treated in Hospital.Deaths in Hospital.Percentage of Deaths in Hospital.Cases treated at Home.Deaths at Home.Percentage of Deaths at Home.Attack Rate.Case Mortality Rate.
1890103266.6%7342.8%.450%Durnsford Lodge used for all Infectious Diseases except during 1893 when, owing to the prevalence of Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria patients could not be admitted. It was closed on Oct. 10th, 1895, because of its insanitary condition.
1891162150%14642.8%.543.7%
1892182150%16850%.650%
189339Nil.Nil.39410.2%1.310.2%
18944424625%20420%1.422.7%
18953927829.6%121083.3%1.146.1%
189630Nil.Nil.30310%.910%Bacteriological examination and the use of Anti-Toxin first adopted in Wimbledon. Iron Hospital, Durnsford Road, in use except for Diphtheria.
189743Nil.Nil43716.2%1.116.2%
189860Nil.Nil.-60711.6%1.511%
189964Nil.Nil.641218.7%1.518.7%
1900642Nil.Nil.621016.1%1.415.6%
1901603837.9%22313.6%1.410%Present Hospital, Gap Road, opened December, 1900.
19028029620.7%5111.9%1.88.7%
1903583512.8%23313%1.26.9%
19043627518.5%9111.1%.716.6%
1905392528%14Nil.Nil..85.1%
19065528310.7%27622.2%1.116.3%
19078359610.1%24Nil.Nil.1.67.2%
19089466710.6%2827.1%1.79.5%

1890—1895 Average Attack Rate .8 Average case Mortality Rate 37.1%
1896-1900 „ „ „ 1.2 „ „ „ „ 14.3%
1901-1908 „ „ „ 1.2 „ „ „ „ 10%
From this it will be seen that for the period of six years
previous to the closing of the old Durnsford Lodge in December,
1895, whilst the average attack rate was only .8 per
thousand of the population, the case mortality was 37.1 per
cent. During the following five years, ending December,
1900, the attack rate had risen to 1.2, but the case mortality
rate had dropped to 14.3 per cent., and it was in this period
that bacteriological diagnosis was commenced here, as was
also the use of anti-toxin in the treatment. A number of Diphtheria
cases were removed to different London hospitals for
9