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
Islington 1897
Forty-second annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Parish of St. Mary, Islington
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108
1897]
The numbers occurring at each period, on analysing the ages, were found to be as follows:—
| Months. (4 weeks). | Pre-school Age. (0-3). | School Age. (3-14). | Post-school Age. (14 and upwards). | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June | 56 | 247 | 98 | ||
| July | 48 | 256 | 136 | ||
| August | 62 | 247 | 139 | ||
| September | 49 | 325 | 188 | ||
At the pre-school age the cases, which were 56 in June, fell to 48
in July, but rose to 62 in August, only, however, to fall to 49 in
September. From these figures it is seen, as might be expected, that as
the children were not attending the schools their closing or opening
would have little or no effect on the increase or decrease of the cases,
and therefore it is not surprising to find that in August the cases were
more numerous than in either June, July or September.
Similarly it will be noticed that at the post-school age the cases
increased from June to September, although the increase was not very
great in August. But when the school age is examined the cases of
the disease, which were 247 in June, and increased to 256 in July,
ultimately reaching to 325 in September, were only 247 in August
when the schools were closed for the annual holiday.
The general tendency of the disease at all ages was to increase
from June to September as the following figures for each of four weeks
conclusively prove:—
June 401 cases.
July 440 „
August 448 „
September 542 „
From June to July the increase was 11.7 per cent., from July to
August only 1.9 per cent., and from August to September 22.7 per
cent., while the increase from June to September was 35.1 per cent. The
small increase in August was entirely due to the decrease of the cases
at the school age, at which period, if the percentage increase
from June to July had been maintained, the cases should have numbered
514, instead of 448 as we have seen.