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

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Chelsea 1894

Annual report for 1894 of the Medical Officer of Health

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population; and the Chelsea Workhouse, Casual Wards, and
Common Lodging Houses were free from small-pox infection.
In London during 1894, 1,391 cases of small-pox were notified,
as against 2,933 cases in 1893, and .436 cases in 1892. The parish
of Marylebone suffered far more severely than any other London
parish, 417 cases of small-pox being notified during the year. The
Portland Town epidemic, which occurred in July and August, and
which was a distinct menace to the health of London, accounts for
the excessive prevalence of small-pox in Marylebone.
SCARLET FEVER, DIPHTHERIA, & ENTERIC FEVER.
Table VII. shows the comparative prevalence of these diseases
in London, and in the western districts of London, during 1893
and 1894.

Table VII.—Notifications in 1893 and in 1894 per 10,000 of Population (1891 Census).

Small-pox.Scarlet Fever.Diphtheria.Enteric Fever.
*London18931894189318941893189418931894
6.963.3090.045.031926.48.908.41
Chelsea4.781.2562.632.824.525.28.309.87
Kensington5.771.0857.523.42 2. 116.16.105.41
*Fulham3.385.0278.759.726.236.36.704.58
*Hammersmith1.850.8270.634.728.619.17.005.86
*Paddington6.112.5569.825.624.733.46.006.36
*St. George's, Hvr. Sq3.061.5380.434.315.614.89.209.44
Westminster8.790.1876.726.615.214.68.108.46
*St. James's22.411.6050.426.019.615.28.8010.00

.* Uncorrected for dual notification.
The most noticeable feature of the past year is the greatly
diminished prevalence of scarlet-fever as compared with 1893.
The diminution in Chelsea corresponds fairly closely with the
diminution in London generally.
The presence of diphtheria in Chelsea was very slightly in excess
of that in 1893. There was, however, a slight diminution in the
prevalence of this disease in the metropolis as a whole.
The influence of the aggregation of children in schools upon the
prevalence of diphtheria has been studied by Mr. Shirley Murphy
and other observers; and prominence has been given to the fact
that since the passing of the Elementary Education Act in 1870,
and the commencement of the Board School system, diphtheria has
steadily and greatly increased in London and other urban centres.
It is also somewhat remarkable that in certain years recently, the