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
Hackney 1903
Report on the sanitary condition of the Hackney District for the year 1903
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93
Age and Sex Distribution.— The 110 notified cases of enteric
fever were distributed in 95 households. During A period 48 cases
occurred in 45 households, and during B period 62 cases in 57
households.
The age and sex distribution of the cases are given in the following
table:—
| Age Period. | 0-5 | 5-10 | 10-15 | 15 20 | 20-25 | 25 35 | 35-45 | 45-55 | 55 and wants | Totals. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Period. | Sex. | ||||||||||
| M | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | |
| F | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 | |
| B Period. | M | 1 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 34 |
| F | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 28 | |
| Total Period. | M & F | 3 | 11 | 17 | 24 | 21 | 25 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 110 |
Cause of the Outbreak.—In endeavouring to find out the
cause of this unusual outbreak of enteric fever in the Borough, it is
necessary to examine in detail the known media by which this
disease is usually spread, and to see if either of these was operating
in causing the outbreak in question. The commonest media for the
spread of enteric fever are 1, water; 2, milk; 3, shell-fish;
4, ice-creams; 5, fried-fish; 6, sanitary defects; and in addition a
suspected cause,. 7, watercress,
Water Supply.—Epidemics of enteric fever have been more
frequently traced to an infected water supply than to any other