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 1899
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year ending December 30th, 1899
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14
Mortality. —Although the number of cases notified was the
highest recorded, the fatality was lower than in any year since 1892,
thera being 59 deaths from the disease, giving a case mortality of
11.2 per cent., compared with 31.6 per cent, in 1894, 20.0 per cent.
in 1895, 22.0 per cent, in 1896, 16.3 per cent, in 1897, and 12.8 per
cent, in 1898. Of the 431 patients removed to hospital, 43 or 10 per
cent., and of the 97 treated at home 16 or 16.5 per cent., died.
The following table shows the fatality at different age periods, of the cases treated at home and of those removed to hospital: —
| Age. | Cases removed to Hospital. | Crises treated at home. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Cases | Deaths. | Mortality per cent. | No. of Cases | Deaths. | Mortality per cent. | |
| 0—1 | 5 | 1 | 20.0 | 2 | 2 | 100.0 |
| 1—2 | 17 | 7 | 41.2 | 3 | 3 | 100.0 |
| 2—3 | 34 | 2 | 6.0 | 8 | 3 | 37.5 |
| 3—4 | 52 | 7 | 13.5 | 4 | – | – |
| 4—5 | 67 | 8 | 12.0 | 8 | 4 | 50.0 |
| 5-10 | 159 | 16 | 10.0 | 45 | 4 | 9.9 |
| 10—15 | 40 | 1 | 2.5 | 9 | – | – |
| 15-25 | 20 | – | – | 6 | – | – |
| 25—35 | 27 | 1 | 3.7 | 8 | – | – |
| 35—45 | 10 | – | – | 4 | – | – |
| Total | 431 | 43 | 10.0 | 97 | 16 | 16.5 |
It will be seen from the above that the difference in the fatality
of hospital and home cases is especially marked in children under 5,
the case mortality of the former being 12.3 and of the latter 22.9 per
cent.
There is no doubt that if the nature of the disease were more
promptly recognised, and cases treated in the earliest stages with
antitoxic serum, the fatality from Diphtheria would be still further
lessened.