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
Chelsea 1900
Annual report for 1900 of the Medical Officer of Health
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Table V.—Zymotic Disease Mortality in Chelsea in 1900.
| Actual Number of Deaths in Chelsea. | Chelsea's proportion of total London Deaths, according to its population. | Average Numberof Deaths annually in Chelsea in 1884—99. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Measles | 33 | 41 | 58 |
| Scarlet Fever | 7 | 8 | 18 |
| Diphtheria | 18 | 33 | 48 |
| Whooping Cough | 18 | 41 | 56 |
| Enteric Fever | 20 | 16 | 14 |
| Diarrhoea | 123 | 121 | 105 |
Enteric Fever.—The mortality from this disease was slightly
higher than the average of the past 16 years. Of the 20 deaths,
12 belonged to Kensal Town, where enteric fever was very prevalent in
a certain limited area south of the canal during the months of
September, October, nnd November. (See page 13.)
Diarrhæa.—The deaths in Chelsea in 1900 from diarrhœal diseases
(diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, gastro-enteritis, and enteritis) were 123
in number, which is somewhat less than the mortalities of the two preceding
years—1899 and 1898. The great heat of the latter part of
July was favourable to a high mortality, but was checked by the cooler
weather which set in in August. Of the 123 deaths, 90 were of infants
under one year of age; and 33 were of Kensal Town residents, as usual
Kensal Town suffering somewhat more severely than the home district.
Table VI.—Mortality from Diarrhœal Diseases.
| Year. | Chelsea. | London. |
|---|---|---|
| Death-rate per Million. | Death-rate per Million. | |
| 1891 | 792 | 774 |
| 1892 | 864 | 801 |
| 1893 | 1134 | 1084 |
| 1894 | 541 | 617 |
| 1895 | 1278 | 1182 |
| 1896 | 1069 | 1112 |
| 1897 | 1597 | 1446 |
| 1898 | 1451 | 1556 |
| 1999 | 1450 | 1663 |
| 1900 | 1268 | 1251 |
The excessive prevalence of diarrhoea commenced in the last week
of July, and continued throughout August and the greater part of
September. In the 10 weeks ending the 15th September, only 64
deaths were registered, as compared with 116 in the similar corresponding
period of 1899. In the past year, however, owing to the
mildness of the autumn, diarrhoea continued to be prevalent and to
cause an unusual mortality until quite the latter end of October.