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 1908
Report on the public health of Finsbury 1908 including annual report on factories and workshops
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DIPHTHERIA IN 1908.
| Ages in years. | Under 1 year. | 1-5 | 5-15 | 15-20 | 20-30 | 30-40 | 40- | Totals. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Notified Cases | Males | 3 | 32 | 15 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 56 |
| Females | 1 | 29 | 41 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 74 | |
| Totals | 4 | 61 | 56 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 130 | |
| Deaths from Diphtheria. | — | 12 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 16 | |
| Percentage on Cases. | — | 19.6 | 7.1 | — | — | — | — | 12.3 | |
The disease, it will be noted, occurred most frequently and was
most fatal amongst children, the age groups beyond 5—15 being comparatively
free.
In investigating the notified cases, the following nuisances were
found:—Whole or part of house dirty, 4; stopped gulleys, 2 (one was
a street gulley). One drain was found to be choked and another
defective.
In 38 cases infection was traced to contact with cases already infected.
In 22 of these, contact took place in the house where the
patient resided, or in his own home; in 7 at school, and in 9 others
elsewhere. In 97 houses only one person was affected; in 9 there
were two, and in 5 three or more. The only possible source of infection
which could be found in three cases was domestic animals, viz., cats,
which had shown suspicious symptoms, such as sneezing and discharge
from the nose for some time before the patient was attacked. With
regard to season it may be noted that there were 34 cases in the first
quarter of the year, 25 in the second, 21 in the third, and 50 in the
last.
The following tabulation of certain facts regarding Diphtheria since
the formation of the Borough is of interest:—