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
Finsbury 1904
Report on the public health of Finsbury 1904 including annual report on factories and workshops
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instances we were able to send the suspected cat to Mr Foulerton,
of the Middlesex Hospital. In one case he obtained a negative
result. In two other cases the result was not definite, but
organisms similar to the Klebs-Loffler bacillus of diphtheria were
found, but as they did not give the pathogenic reactions of the
diphtheria bacillus it is not possible to say that it was proved that
the suspected cats were actually suffering from clinical diphtheria
as we know it.
The total number of doubtful cases of diphtheria examined
bacteriologically was 91, of which 22 gave a positive result.
The total number of notifications received during the year for
Scarlet Fever was 323, as against last year's 283, and 381 in 1902. The age and sex incidence was as follows:—
| Ages. | 0- | 1- | 5- | 10- | 15- | 20- | 30-40 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | 3 | 55 | 64 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 146 |
| Females | 2 | 64 | 72 | 26 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 177 |
| Total | 5 | 119 | 136 | 39 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 323 |
From these figures it will be seen that 260 out of the 323
cases occurred in children under 10 years of age. In relation to
school influence, it is of interest to note that nearly 90 per cent. of
the cases occurred in children at school ages. These returns show
a higher incidence than usual upon children at school age. Not
only is Scarlet Fever a disease of children, but it is most fatal in
young children. There were in all 17 deaths, distributed as
follows:—