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
Poplar 1893
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the Bow District, comprising the Parish of St. Mary Stratford-le-Bow
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11
Measles.
During the year the deaths from this complaint in the parish of
Bow were for the four quarters respectively, 1, 1, 2, 4, and in Bromley
for the first quarter 2. This is a decidedly satisfactory decrease on
the figures for last year, when in Bow the total deaths from this cause
numbered 21, which figure was double that of the year 1891. Since
1880 on only two occasions have the cases been less, viz., in 1884,
when the Bow cases were 6, and in 1889 when they were but 3.
Thus for 1893 the death rate from measles is 0.19; comparing
with 0.50 as the Bow rate for 1892.
The following is the complete record from 1880 for Bow :—
| Bow—1880 | 11 | 1887 | 22 |
| 1881 | 19 | 1888 | 31 |
| 1882 | 23 | 1889 | 3 |
| 1883 | 28 | 1890 | 46 |
| 1884 | 6 | 1891 | 10 |
| 1885 | 28 | 1892 | 21 |
| 1886 | 27 | 1893 | 8 |
For several years I have persistently drawn attention to the fact
that it is the reckless treatment of this disease which is, without
doubt, the explanation of so much mortality, and it would be
gratifying to be able to think that it is a change for the better in this
direction which has led to the marked reduction in the number of
fatal cases among the children of Bow.
It may be added that the deaths from measles in London during
1893 were 1658, to which the Poplar District only contributed the
small number of 32 as against 129 from Shoreditch, St. Pancras
reaching the highest total with 154.
Scarlet Fever.
This disease, which last year made its appearance in an epidemic
form, although in a mild type, has in the parish of Bow this year