London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Paddington 1901

Report on the vital statistics and sanitary work for the year 1901

This page requires JavaScript

32
SCARLET FEVER
Scarlet Fever in Hall Park.—There was an excessive prevalence of the disease in this
district, 30 cases being reported during the year. The cases were distributed, as regards time, as
under:—
March 1 case. May 4 cases. September 6 cases. November 2 cases.
April 9 cases. June 3 „ October 2 ,, December 3 ,,
\
The first case, a boy aged six, sickened on March 27th, and was removed to hospital on April 1st.
That day the second case, a boy aged 12, sickened, but was not reported and removed until the
4th, on which day a girl (M. W.), aged three, sickened. The first and third cases occurred in Adpar
Street, the second in Campbell Street. The third case was not diagnosed until April 24th,
and in the meantime eight other cases were reported either in the same house or very near thereto,
which were apparently due to this unrecognized case. Cases continued to occur up to the middle of
June at intervals, which suggested direct personal infection from preceding cases—the children iu
the area being much given to playing together in the streets. On June 25th a girl sickened,
but her case was not reported until July lGth. She did not appear to act as a centre for other
cases, or, at all events, no further cases were reported until September 7th, when eight more cases
were reported at very short intervals up to November 18th. In December three cases occurred, also
at very short intervals.

Of the cases reported, 12 were males and 18 females; the age division being—

0—33—55—13
Males1110
Females98

and one female, aged 31, who sickened after her confinement. Twelve (12) of the children attended
Campbell Street Board School, but the School did not appear to act as a "centre" until the autumn,
only three cases occurring there (from this Area) prior to the summer holidays, viz., in April two and
in July one. In September there were three cases, in November two, and in December three.
Some of the cases in the later months were suspected to be "return" cases, but in the absence
of official information as to the discharge of patients this could not be proved. Personal contact in
the homes and streets seemed to be the chief factors in the spread of the disease.
Scarlet Fever in Clarendon Street Area.—In the streets included in this "island 40 cases
were reported, viz.:—
January, 1 case. April, 3 cases. July, 3 cases. October, 1 case.
February, 2 cases. May, 3 ,, August, 3 ,, November, 3 cases.
March, 1 „ June, 7 „ September, 11 ,, December, 2 ,,

The sex-age distribution was somewhat different, as will be seen from the appended statement:—

0—11—33—55—13aged 131933
Males139211
Females145121

To tabulate all the cases with their respective notes would occupy too much space. It must
suffice to say that there was not the same evidence of direct personal infection here as in Ilall Park,
nor could the schools be held to act as "centres."
Removals to Hospital.—Of the 50.3 reported cases 439 (including 4 cases contracted in hospitals)
were treated away from home—representing 87.2 per cent. From St. Mary's Sub-District 344
cases, representing 87.3 per cent, of the notified cases, were removed, from St. John's 51 (or 70.4
per cent.), and from North-West Paddington 35 (or 923 per cent.). From the two first the
removals were equal to 84.9 per cent, of the notifications, as compared with 84.6 in 1000, 71.6 in
1899, and 80.1 in 1898.