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
Woolwich 1918
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health 1918
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The London death-rate was 0*17,
39, 71 of the total cases notified were in Woolwich parish,
75 in West Plumstead, 54 in East Plumstead, and 40 in Eltham.
The following table shows the case-rate in each registration district (not corrected for mistaken diagnosis) in the past seventeen years, compared with London and the Borough:-
| 1901 | 1906 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -5 | -10 | |||||||||
| Borough | 1.71 | 2.20 | 1.68 | 3.09 | 1.91 | 2.72 | 1.77 | 1.81 | 1.65 | 1.42 |
| Woolwich Parish | 1.63 | 2.34 | 2.40 | 4.38 | 4.43 | 4.92 | 2.23 | 2.80 | 1.76 | 2.11 |
| Plumstead Parish | 1.87 | 2.40 | (W1.19 | 3.79 | 2.32 | 3.33 | 1.99 | 2.11) | 1.60 | 1.74 |
| (E2.33 | 2.81 | 1.02 | 2.39 | 2.87 | 1. 23 ) | 1.50 | 1.37 | |||
| Eltham Parish | 1.62 | 2.22 | 2-30 | 1.71 | 1.29 | 3.33 | 0.88 | 1.72 | 2.96 | 1.32 |
| London | 1.90 | 1.63 | 1.64 | 1.57 | 1.70 | 2.02 | 2.01 | 2.04 | 2.06 | 2.03 |
East Plumstead had the lowest rate.
40. 227 oases, or 93 per cent of total notifications, were
removed to hospital, compared with 94, 92, 91, and 91, per cent
in the four preceding years. A certificate of efficient home
isolation was given in 7 cases, compared with 1, 7, 10, 8, and 4,
in the five preceding years.
The case-mortality was 12.0 per cent, compared with 7.0,
9.7, 8.3, 4.4, and 6.6, in the five preceding years.
14 carrier cases, with or without slignt symptoms, were
discovered by your Medical Officer of Health. The usual steps
were taken.
57, or 24 per cent of the cases notified, were over 15
years of age. In the last seven years there has been a marked
increase in the proportion of Diphtheria notifications over school
age. In 1911 the percentage was only 13 and there has been a
steady increase since. There is no similar increase in the rest
of London, and it is probably connected with changed age distribution
of the population, and increased provision for discovering
infeotious disease among munition workers.
A small outbreak, comprising 13 cases, occurred at the
Central Schools; the children attending were examined by the L.C.0.
Medical Officer and a large number of absentees by the Medical
Officer of Health. Two of the former and four of the latter were
discovered to be carriers of infection and on their isolation the
outbreak ceased.
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