London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Paddington 1909
Report on the vital statistics and sanitary work for the year 1909
This page requires JavaScript
33
MEASLES.
The 709 cases were reported from 390 houses, giving an average of 1.8 cases per house, as compared with 1.6 in 1908. The frequency of multiple cases in each of the last six years is shown below:
| 1909. | 1908. | 1907. | 1906. | 1905. | 1904. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses with 2 cases | 104 | 130 | 194 | 100 | 257 | 166 |
| „ 3 „ | 55 | 55 | 97 | 48 | 143 | 59 |
| „ 4 „ | 21 | 15 | 30 | 15 | 43 | 25 |
| „ 5 „ | 9 | 6 | 19 | 4 | 16 | 5 |
| „ 6 „ | — | — | 7 | — | 4 | 3 |
| „ 7 „ | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 |
| „ 8 „ | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| „ 9 „ | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
The secondary cases numbered 319 and formed 44.9 per cent. of all the cases, the proportion
in 1908 having been 40.9.
The deaths numbered 36 last year, the same as in 1908 and comprise 18 of each sex, all
the deceased persons being under the age of five years. The fatality of this disease was
5.0 per cent., the highest recorded since statistics of this disease were first collected (1903).
The fatality among males last year (5.3) was the same as that of the previous year but
that among females (4.8) showed an increase of 0.7 per cent. The rates recorded during the
past six years are appended:
Measles. Fatality at all ages, per 100 cases.
| 1909. | 1908. | 1907. | 1906. | 1905. | 1904. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | 5.3 | 5.3 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 5.2 |
| Females | 4.8 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 4.2 | 3.5 |
| Persons | 5.0 | 4.6 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
The increased fatality is somewhat surprising and (it may be said) disappointing. It is
thought that it cannot be ascribed to a smaller proportion of the actual total of cases being
reported, as it is believed that a steady improvement has been made in that direction.
Neither, judging by past experience, can the increase be put down to seasonal influence. It
will be admitted that a fatal issue is, on the whole, more frequent after attacks occurring in
the first and fourth quarters of the year. That assumption is borne out by the tabular
statement given below, in which it will be seen that, until last year, a low fatality
was associated with a small proportion of attacks in the first and fourth quarters, and
vice versa.
Proportion per cent. of all attacks reported in
Year.
1st and 4th
Quarters.
2nd and 3rd
Quarters.
Fatality
per 100 cases.
1903 54.7 45.0 4.1
1904 86.8 12.9 4.3
1905 30.2 69.6 3.6
1906 31.9 67.4 2.7
1907 53.1 46.8 3.1
1908 59.3 40.6 4.6
1909 36.9 62.9 5.0
The progressive decline in fatality from 1903 to 1906, since followed by a progressive
increase, suggests that the disease has entered a phase of increasing severity, an occurrence
which has been noted in almost all diseases which are epidemic in character.