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
Fulham 1915
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1915
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23
Scarlet Fever.
There was a marked drop in 1915 in the prevalence of scarlet fever, 621 cases being notified, compared with 1,042 in 1914. The returns for the four quarters were :—
| Cases. | Deaths. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Quarter | 185 | 6 |
| Second ,, | 143 | 6 |
| Third „ | 140 | 4 |
| Fourth „ | 153 | 1 |
| 621 | 17 |
The seventeen deaths represent a case mortality of
2.7 per cent., the highest since 1905.
Diphtheria. The cases of diphtheria notified in the four quarters of the year were :—
| Cases. | Deaths. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Quarter | 46 | 6 |
| Second „ | 60 | 6 |
| Third „ | 51 | 4 |
| Fourth „ | 114 | 11 |
| 271 | 27 |
The number of cases was practically the same as in
1914 and 1913, but the fatality was higher, the twentyseven
deaths comparing with twenty-three in 1914 and
fifteen in 1913.
220,000 units of antitoxic serum were supplied to
medical practitioners during the year.
Enteric Fever.
Only fourteen cases of enteric fever were reported,
the lowest number previously recorded being fifteen in
1910. There were four deaths from the disease, and as
the diagnosis was not confirmed in three cases, the case
mortality was 36.6 per cent.