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
Chelsea 1896
Annual report for 1896 of the Medical Officer of Health
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There was, practically, no autumnal rise in the prevalence of the disease
in 1896, only 18 cases being notified in the last quarter of the year, as
against 39 in the last quarter of 1895.
The following Table VIII. shows the case mortality, or percentage
of deaths to notifications of scarlet fever, diphtheria (including membranous
croup), and enteric fever in Chelsea and in London in each of
the seven years, 1890-6.
| Scarlet Fever. | Diphtheria and Membranous Croup. | Enteric Fever. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea. | London. | Chelsea. | London. | Chelsea. | London. | |
| 1890 | 7.0 | 5.7 | 17.6 | *24.1 | 17.4 | 23.0 |
| 1891 | 3.6 | 5.1 | 15.4 | *22.5 | 17.4 | 15.6 |
| 1892 | 5.3 | 4.3 | 22.9 | *23.9 | 13.6 | 17.2 |
| 1893 | 5.3 | 4.3 | 23.4 | *24.5 | 22.1 | 18.4 |
| 1894 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 21.7 | 23.6 | 14.7 | 18.1 |
| 1895 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 18.7 | 20.4 | 18.4 | 17.0 |
| 1896 | 4.9 | 22.9 | ... | 14.7 | ... | |
•Diphtheria only.
Table IX. exhibits the removals of patients suffering from scarlet
fever, diphtheria, and enteric fever, from their homes to hospitals, in
each of the seven years, 1890-6, expressed as percentages of the total
number of cases notified.
| Scarlet Fever. | Diphtheria. | Enteric Fever. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 37 | 20 | 29 |
| 1891 | 40 | 15 | 22 |
| 1892 | 48 | 27 | 32 |
| 1893 | 50 | 41 | 38 |
| 1894 | 71 | 58 | 63 |
| 1895 | 55 | 62 | 51 |
| 1896 | 61 | 56 | 56 |
THE WATER SUPPLY OF CHELSEA.
The quality of the water supplied to Chelsea in 1896 was up to the
average standard. The examinations of the Official Analyst for the
Local Government Board show that about 99.2 per cent. of the bacteria
present in the unfiltered Thames water at Hampton are removed by the
processes of subsidence and filtration carried out by the Chelsea Water