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
Woolwich 1918
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health 1918
This page requires JavaScript
The fatality rate (deaths under two years per 100 notified
cases under two) was 22.0 compared with 20.7, in 1917. The
high fatality of the two past years probably points to neglect to
notify mild oases rather than to prevalence of a type of disease
severer than usual. Medical men, being specially pressed owing
to the was forget that this disease is notifiable, in spite of a
circular reminder being sent every year.
Summer Quarter. For the first time in recent years Woolwich
nad a higher diarrhoea death-rate in July-Sept, than London, viz.,
29.6, compared with 27.6. The infantile death-rate from all
causes was also exceptionally high in the third quarter, viz.,
105, compared with 85, in London. The three Boroughs - Hampstead,
Stoke Newington and Woolwich — which usually have the lowest infantile
death-rate, all had an exceptionally high rate in the
summer Quarter of 1918, Hampstead being the highest, viz, 116,
49, The temperature of the summer quarter was below the average
and the rainfall above, conditions usually producing a low
summer death rate.
ZYMOTIC ENTERITIS AND METEOROLOGY — Summer quarter.
| 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of cases notified | 142 | 80 | 101 | 99 |
| Number of deaths | 12 | 14 | 12 | 15 |
| Mean temperature of air | 60.7 | 60.9 | 61.7 | 60.5 |
| Mean temperature 3 feet below ground | 60.6 | 59.9 | 62.6 | — |
| Mean humidity | 80 | 83 | 81 | 78 |
| Number of days on which rain fell | 35 | 42 | 47 | 51 |
| Rainfall in inches | 8.5 | 6.0 | 3.4 | 13.0 |
| Number of hours bright sunshine | 541 | — | 580 | 525 |
ERYSIPELAS.
50. There were 61 cases of erysipelas notified, compared
with 138, 95, and 79, in the three preceding .years. There were
2 deaths. The case-rate was 0.42, the lowest recorded, and the
death-rate, 0.01, much below the average. These rates have been
remarkably low since 1915, The London case-rate was 0.50 and the
London death-rate 0.02.
17