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
Deptford 1906
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Deptford, Metropolitan Borough of]
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The death rate per 1,000 persons living was equal to 1.26. The death rates for the past five years in Deptford and London are shewn in the following table.
| Deptford. | London. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 0.94 | 0.86 |
| 1902 | 0.67 | 0.53 |
| 1903 | 0.64 | 0.64 |
| 1904 | 0.98 | 1.02 |
| 1905 | 0.73 | 0.73 |
| Average for years 1901-1905 | 0.79 | 0.75 |
| 1906 | 1.26 | 0.94 |
The rate of mortality for England and Wales was 0.87, for the
76 great towns 1.16, for the 142 smaller towns 0.94, and for London
as a whole 0.95.
In North Deptford there were 55 deaths, in South Deptford
there were 17, and in Central Deptford 74.
MEASLES.
The number of cases of measles dealt with during the year was
1,007, as compared with 600, 1,029, 273 for the three preceding years. As
the disease is not notifiable under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891,
the above figure does not represent the total number of cases which
have occurred in the Borough, as our only source of information as
to the existence of cases is from the Head Teachers of the London
County Council schools.
The same procedure is adopted in the case of measles, with
regard to disinfection, as if it was notifiable.
Dr. Kerr, Medical Officer (Education), in his report to the
Education Committee of the London County Council under
the heading "Measles," says "measles is the most fatal disease
of childhood." He pointed out last year (1905) that the ordinary
history of measles in a school containing a number of children
is somewhat as follows:—A child, who has contracted measles
elsewhere, attends school in an infectious state, and a certain
c