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
Hampstead 1910
Report for the year 1910 of the Medical Officer of Health
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The following table shows the number of reported cases of Measles occurring each month in the various Wards:—
| Month. | Ward 1 (Town) | Ward 2 (Belsize) | Ward 3 (Adelaide) | Ward 4 (Central) | Ward 5 (West End) | Ward 6 (Kilburn) | Ward 7 (Priory) | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5 | l | 2 | 3 | 24 | 275 | 4 | 314 |
| February | 6 | 5 | - | 18 | 102 | 41 | 5 | 177 |
| March | 2 | 1 | — | 7 | — | — | 17 | |
| April | 3 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 8 |
| May | 3 | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 11 |
| June | — | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | |
| July | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | — | — | 2 | 10 |
| August - | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 |
| September | 2 | 15 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 19 |
| October - | 1 | 41 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 46 |
| November | — | 10 | 5 | — | — | 1 | — | 16 |
| December | — | 10 | — | — | — | 2 | 12 | |
| Totals | 27 | 91 | 16 | 32 | 136 | 321 | 19 | 642 |
During the first two months of 1910 measles was unusually prevalent
in Hampstead, especially in the Kilburn and West End Wards,
where the great majority of the cases occurred. In the last quarter of
the year the disease attacked the Fleet Road area, and became prevalent
in the Town Ward in the early part of the present year. Unfortunately,
measles is an extremely difficult disease to control. It is highly infectious
even in the early stage before the appearance of the rash, when
the symptoms very much resemble those of a common cold, for which
complaint measles is usually mistaken. Until the fourth day of the
disease, when the rash appears, measles can only be recognised by a