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
Battersea 1905
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1905
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The next table gives the death-rate from each of the chief zymotic diseases compared with the mean death-rate in the preceding decennium, and the gain or loss in each case is also given:—
| Diseases. | Mean Death-rate per 1,000 1895-1904. | Death-rate per 1,000 1905. | Gain in 1905. | Loss in 1905. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small-Pox | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 | ... |
| Measles | 0.61 | 0.70 | ... | 0.09 |
| Erysipelas | 0.07 | 0.13 | ... | 0.06 |
| Scarlet Fever | 0.12 | 0.13 | ... | 0.01 |
| Diphtheria | 0.34 | 0.06 | 0.28 | ... |
| Enteric Fever | 0.11 | 0.03 | 0.08 | ... |
| Puerperal Fever | 0.02 | 0.05 | ... | 0.03 |
| Whooping Cough | 0.46 | 0.28 | 0.18 | ... |
| Diarrhœa | 0.86 | 0.72 | 0.14 | ... |
It will be seen from this table that in 1905 there was a great
reduction in the death-rate from diphtheria as compared with
the death-rate for the preceding ten years. There was a
considerable reduction also in the case of enteric fever, diarrhœa,
and whooping cough, while small-pox did not give rise to a
single death. On the other hand, there was an increased
mortality from measles, erysipelas, scarlet fever and puerperal
fever. The death-rate from the seven principal zymotic
diseases—viz., small-pox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, enteric
fever, measles, whooping cough and diarrhœa was 1.93, the
death-rate from these diseases in the County of London
being 1.68.