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BOROUGH OF ISLINGTON.
.FINAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH ON THE OUTBREAK OF
SMALL-POX.
Town Hall, Upper Street, Islington, N.
10th November 1902.
To the Chairman and Members of the Public Health Committee.
Gentlemen,
I am now in a position to report finally on the epidemic of Small Pox which has been prevalent
in the borough during part of the years 1901 and 1902, for apparently the end of the epidemic has been
reached; although it is possible that some sporadic cases may from time to time be notified.
Period of time during which it Lasted.—The first cases became known on August 27th 1901
and the last notification was received on August 29th, 1902, so that the period covered by the epidemic
was exactly one year and three days.
Number of Notifications and Genuine Cases.—During the epidemic 354 notification
certificates, relating to separate cases, were received, of which 317 proved genuine Small
Pox, while in 37 instances, representing 10.4 per cent. of the notifications, the diagnoses were
inaccurate.
Intensity or the Epidemic.—The 317 cases were in the proportion of 9.4 per ten thousand
persons estimated to be living in the borough. This proportion will be found to contrast very
favourably with other metropolitan boroughs, as will subsequently be seen.
In the Sub-Registration Districts.—In Tufnell sub-district 12 cases occurred, in Upper
Holloway 32, in Tollington 28, in Lower Holloway 43, in Highbury 30, in Barnsbury 77, 10 of
which were brought into the district while ill, and in South-east Islington 95, These cases
bore the proportion to ever}- 10.000 of the population as follows: —
Per 10,00
Inhabitants. Inhabitants.
Tufnell 3.69 Highbury 4.65
Upper Holloway 9.30 Barnsbury14.16 cr 12.32
Tollington 8.14 South-east Islington 12.56
Lower Holloway 10.36
The proportion in Barnsbury should be 12.32 per 10,000 of its population, because ten
cases were brought into the district from the Salvation Training School in Hackney while ill,
but at a time when the disease had not been positively identified.
Intensity of the Disease in London.—The returns of the Medical Officer of Health for
London, published by the Registrar General in his quarterly reports, show that 9,451 cases were
notified. These represent an attack rate of 20.6 per 10,000 of the population, or 11.2 per
10,000 more than the attack rate of Islington. Naturally the incidence of the disease varied
considerably in the various districts, and an examination of the returns shows that it ranged
from 3.1 in Hampstead, 5.9 in Chelsea and Wandsworth, 6.3 in Kensington, 7.4 in Fulham, and
7.5 in Lewisham to 30.3 in Finsbury, 38.9 in Shoreditch, 41.3 in Poplar, 42.3 in Bethnal Green,
51.3 in Stepney, and 73.1 in Holborn.
Intensity in the Districts Encircling Islington.—In Hackney the attack rate per 10,000
inhabitants was 20.8, in St. Pancras 26.1, in F'insbury 30.3, in Shoreditch 38.9, with which the
attack rate in Islington of 9.4 compares very favourably.
Mortality and Fatality.—The total number of death- registered was 61, which represent
a fatality rate of 19.2 per cent. of the cases.
State of Vaccination of the Persons Attacked.—Of the 317 person- attacked, 2.36, or
74.4 per cent. were vaccinated; 6o, or 20.5 per cent unvaccinated; and 16, or 5.0 per cent., were
persons whose condition as to vaccination could not be ascertained.
Among the 236 vaccinated cases, 29 deaths occurred, representing a fatality of 12.29 per
cent.
Among the 65 unvaccinated cases 30 daths occurred, representing a fatality of 46.15 per
cent.
Among the 16 cases whose state as to vaccination was unknown 2 deaths occurred, representing
a fatality 12.50 per cent.
Among the 236 vaccinated together with the 16.whose state as to vaccination was unknown 31
deaths occurred, representing a fatality of 12.30 per cent.