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
Fulham 1896
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year ending December 31st, 1896
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would have the effect of checking the disease, but a week after the school
re-assembled, several more cases were notified, and arrangements were made
to close the school should any further cases occur, but this, however, was not
found to be necessary.
Errors in Diagnosis.—Of 125 patients admitted to the Western Fever
Hospital certified to be suffering from Diphtheria, 16 or 12-8 per cent, were
found, after sojourn in Hospital, to be suffering from other diseases, viz., 11
from Tonsillitis, three from Scarlet Fever, and two from other diseases.
COMPARATIVE PREVALENCE OF DIPHTHERIA IN FULHAM.
Nearly all the sanitary districts of the Metropolis suffered in common
with Fulham from an excess of Diphtheria, and the death-rate from the
disease in Fulham, viz., 0.66, was but slightly higher from that of the
Metropolis, which was 0.59.
Among London sanitary areas the lowest death-rates from Diphtheria
were 0.12 in the Strand, 0.18 in St. Giles, 0.21 in Wandsworth; and the
highest 0.83 in Limehouse, 0.84 in Bermondsey, 0.86 in Mile End, 0.88 in
Lewisham, 0.91 in Plumstead, 1.01 in Camberwell and 1.17 in Chelsea.
The following Table gives the rate of incidence of Diphtheria in Fulham, London and the adjoining parishes for the past six years:— Cases notified per 10,000 Inhabitants.
| 1891. | 1899. | 1893. | 1894. | 1895. | 1896. | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulham | 7.1 | 10.3 | 22.1 | 31.5 | 34.0 | 30.3 | 22.5 |
| London | 14.2 | 18.5 | 30.2 | 24.4 | 24.5 | 31.2 | 23.8 |
| Kensington | 11.1 | 10.4 | 21.4 | 16.1 | 21.8 | 27.4 | 18.0 |
| Hammersmith | 29.2 | 27.5 | 26.5 | 17.4 | 18.3 | 26.5 | 24.2 |
| Chelsea | 18.0 | 17.4 | 23.1 | 25.6 | 33.0 | 57.2 | 29.1 |
The following Table gives the Death-rates from Diphtheria per 1000 living in Fulham, London and the three adjacent parishes during the ten years 1887—1896:—
| 1887 | 1888 | 1889 | 1890 | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1895 | 1896 | Average for 10 yrs. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulham | 0.26 | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.25 | 0.21 | 0.32 | 0.63 | 0.99 | 0.70 | 0.66 | 0.43 |
| London | 0.23 | 0.31 | 0.38 | 0.33 | 0.32 | 0.44 | 0.75 | 0.61 | 0.52 | 0.59 | 0.45 |
| Kensington | 0.24 | 0.55 | 0.67 | 0.20 | 0.17 | 0.20 | 0.49 | 0.46 | 0.53 | 0.40 | 0.43 |
| Ham'rsmith | 0.51 | 0.42 | 0.49 | 0.51 | 0.75 | 0.74 | 0.53 | 0.49 | 0.43 | 0.49 | 0.53 |
| Chelsea | 0.20 | 0.15 | 0.25 | 0.58 | 0.17 | 0.41 | 0.54 | 0.56 | 0.59 | 1.17 | 0.46 |