London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hackney 1920

Report on the sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney for the year 1920

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not to be suffering from this disease, thus the total of genuine cases of
diphtheritic disease was reduced to 764. This is an increase of 95
upon the number of genuine cases notified during 1919. The incidence
of the disease was above the normal at the beginning of the year
and remained so during the first four months; the disease was
normal during the months of June, July and August, but rose
after the school holidays and remained somewhat high during the
remainder of the year. The Asylums Board were pressed for
accommodation during October and November, but it is very
gratifying to record that the Board provided accommodation
in nearly every instance of cases of a severe type when application
was made from the office. Where cases could not be removed
immediately, the medical attendant was advised to administer
the maximum dose of anti-toxin in accordance with the recommendations
contained in a memorandum circulated by the
Asylums Board during times of pressure.
The attack rate for diphtheria was 3.38 per 1,000 inhabitants.
There were 702 cases removed to hospital during the year.
This is equal to 94 per cent. of the cases notified.

The following table shows the distribution of diphtheria in the respective Sub-districts of the Borough:—

Sub-districts.North.Central.South-west.South-east.
Number of cases of Diphtheria and Membranous Croup129196265174
Attack-rate per 1,000 living2.33.54.63.0

From the above it will be seen that diphtheritic disease was
more acute in the Central and South-Western Sub-districts of the
Borough than in the Northern and South-Eastern Sub-districts.