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
Battersea 1912
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1912
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31
Notifiable Infectious Diseases.
During 1912, under the Notification Clauses of the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891, 826 cases of infectious diseases have
been notified, as compared with 753 in 1911. Of the 826 cases
notified 665 (i.e., 80 per cent.) were removed to hospitals of the
Metropolitan Asylums Board or to other hospitals, and 161 (i.e.,
20 per cent.) remained under treatment at home. It is satisfactory
to note that the high percentage of removals to hospital of cases
of dangerous infections has been maintained at the level of the
past few years.
Examining the removals to hospital more in detail (e.g., nature of disease) it is seen that during 1912 in the Borough of Battersea the following are the percentages:-
| Scarlet fever | 97 |
| Diphtheria and membranous croup | 96 |
| Enteric fever | 90 |
| Erysipelas | 22 |
| Puerperal fever | 60 |
The number of cases notified in the three sub-districts of the Borough, and the proportion per 1,000 of the population, are as follows:-
| Total number of cases notified. | Notifications per 1,000 pop. | |
|---|---|---|
| The Borough | 826 | 4.9 |
| East Battersea | 377 | 5.4 |
| North-West Battersea | 256 | 5.2 |
| South-West Battersea | 193 | 3.9 |
The total amount paid in fees to medical practitioners for
notifications of infectious disease in Battersea during 1912 was
£172 19s. 6d. (This amount includes fees paid for notifications
of phthisis.)
There was an increase in the number of scarlet fever notifications
during 1912, viz., 31 per cent., as compared with 1911. The
number of notifications during the year 1912 was, however, 38 per
cent. less than the average for the ten years 1902-1911. The 427
cases of scarlet fever occurred in 353 houses.
The number of notifications of diphtheria received during 1912
was 2 in excess of the number notified in 1911. The notifications
were 16 per cent, below the average for the ten years 1902-1911.
The 210 cases of diphtheria occurred in 186 houses, and in only 8
of these were the drains on testing found defective.