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

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Islington 1896

Forty-first annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Parish of St. Mary, Islington

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1896]
86
DIPHTHERIA.
Last year it was possible to note a “most gratifying decrease in the
number of cases of Diphtheria notified during 1895, whether compared
with the preceding year, or with any year since notification of the
infectious diseases became compulsory.” It is much to be regretted
that the gratification then experienced does not extend to 1896, for as
if to compensate for the small number of cases in 1895, an unusually
large number were notified during the year with which this report deals.
In 1893, 854 cases were notified; in 1894, 843; in 1895, 564; and in
1896, 1,067. It almost seems as if a law of averages meant that the
two last years should show a mean number (815) of cases that would
about equal the record of the previous years. In every part of the
Parish the disease was more prevalent than in the preceding year.
Cases. Case-rate.
1895. 1896. 1895. 1896.
Upper Holloway 191 390 1.89 3.88
Islington, South West 156 401 1.44 3.66
„ South East 116 143 1.77 2.10
Highbury 101 1.33 1.61 2.01
The Parish 564 1,067 1.67 3.10
The fatality was 23.1 per cent. of the cases, as against 24.2 per
cent. in 1895.
Table LVII.
Showing the sickness from Diphtheria in the Sub-districts for each
Quarter.
Sub-Districts.
1st
Quarter.
2nd
Quarter.
3rd
Quarter.
4th
Quarter.
Whole
Year.
Upper Holloway
99
100
99
92
390
Islington, South West
48
99
131
123
401
Islington, South East
31
44
33
35
143
Highbury
32
33
31
37
133
The Parish
210
276
294
287
1,067