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
Holborn 1902
Report for the year 1902 of the Medical Officer of Health
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| Total number of cases of Small-pox. | Under Ten years of Age. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaccinated. | Unvaccinated. | ||||||
| No. | Number of Deaths. | Death Rate. | No. | Number of Deaths. | Death Rate. | ||
| London,1891-1900 | 5,166 | 125 | - | - | 672 | 153 | 22.8 |
| Leicester. 1892-1893 | 357 | 2 | -_ | — | 167 | 15 | 140 |
| Sheffield, 1887-1888 | 4,703 | 353 | 6 | 1.7 | 228 | 100 | 43.9 |
| D'ewsburv Union, 1891-1892 | 1,029 | 44 | 1 | 2.2 | 174 | 56 | 32.1 |
| Warrington, 1892-1893 | 667 | 33 | 6.0 | 32 | 12 | 37.5 | |
| Gløucester, 1895-1896 | 1,979 | 26 | 1 | 3.8 | 680 | 279 | 41.0 |
| Manchester. 1892-1893 | 805 | 11 | — | — | 36 | 7 | 19.4 |
| Oldham, 1892-1893 | 121 | 3 | — | — | 15 | 5 | 33 3 |
| Leeds, 1892-1893 | 200 | 4 | — | — | 8 | 3 | 37.5 |
| Halifax, 1892-1893 | 330 | 4 | — | — | 38 | 15 | 39.5 |
| Bradford, 1893 | 658 | 17 | — | — | 57 | 23 | 40.3 |
| Total | 16,018 | 662 | 10 | 1.6 | 2,047 | 668 | 32.6 |
Note.—The vaccinated include all cases that had any evidence of vaccination, however
imperfect.
A further conclusive proof of the life-saving power of vaccination is the great change in
the age incidence of the disease. Before vaccination was introduced, the number of deaths of
children under 10 years of age was enormous, and greater than the total number of deaths of
persons of all other ages. Now the deaths of children under 10 years of age is but a small
percentage of the total deaths from small-pox, and practically include only children that had
not been vaccinated.
(2) Early Diagnosis of the Disease.
The early diagnosis of the disease is of great importance, as if the patient is removed to
Hospital the first day of the rash, and all contacts at once re-vaccinated and disinfection carried
out, the disease will not spread.
It is well known that there is great difficulty in the diagnosis of many cases of Small-pox.
I was asked by Medical Practitioners to see very many cases of Small-pox, Chicken-pox
and suspicious cases before the notifications were made.
The Council adopted the notification of Chicken-pox, and several of the cases notified,
I found on examination, were cases of Small-pox. Also several notified as Small-pox, I found to
be really suffering from Chicken-pox.
The Metropolitan Asylum Board kindly made arrangements for Metropolitan Medical
Officers of Health to visit the South Wharf and Small-pox Ships. I gladly availed myself of the
opportunity.
Arrangements ought to be made for all medical students to see cases of Small-pox.
(3) Prompt Removal of the Patient to Hospital.
This service is admirably carried out by the Metropolitan Asylums Board. On receipt of
a message by telephone or telegram, an ambulance with a driver, porter, and nurse, is at once
despatched at any time during the day or night.
I was generally on duty long after office hours; and at the beginning of the present year
the Public Health Committee consented to an Inspector being on duty till 10 p.m., and on
Sundays till 1 p.m., and Dr. Watkins-Pitchford was appointed to assist me. He was on duty
sifter office hours, from January 15th until the end of April, 1902, and he and I took Saturday
evening and Sunday duty alternately.