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
Chelsea 1926
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for Chelsea, 1926
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Return Cases. Two return cases occurred during the year. In each case the primary case on discharge from hospital suffered from slight nasal discharge. TABLE No. 28. Cases of Diphtheria during the Years 1925 and 1926.
| Year. | Cases Notified. | Percentage of Removals | Deaths | Case Fatality Rate. | Percentage of casesof School age (3-13 years). | Monthof greatest prevalence. | Bacterioscopic Diagnosis, Lister Institute. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Specimens submitted | Positive | Percentage Positive. | Negative. | Percentage Negative. | |||||||
| 1925 | 172 | 98 | 7 | 4.1 | 50 | Jan. | 338 | 58 | 17.2 | 280 | 82.8 |
| 1926 | 207 | 98 | 6 | 2.9 | 55 | Mar. | 317 | 33 | 10.4 | 284 | 89.6 |
It will be observed that the number of cases notified in 1926 was
abnormally high and that the percentage of removals to the M.A.B.
Hospitals was also high. On the other hand, the case fatality rate was
lower than that for 1925.
Information was received from the M.A.B. that 33 of the cases sent
to Hospital in the course of the year proved not to be suffering from
diphtheria. The incidence of the disease in London generally in 1926
was considerably higher than in previous years.
Of the 207 cases notified, 76 occurred in Stanley Ward, 73 in Church
Ward, 31 in Cheyne Ward, 14 in Hans Town Ward, and 13 in Royal
Hospital Ward.
Early in the year several cases were notified from the Infants' Ward
of a Hospital in the Borough. A thorough examination of the drainage
system of the Hospital was thereupon carried out and such defects as
were found to exist were rectified by the Board of Management. Investigation
for " carrier " cases was also made.
The following table shows the average annual case rate, case fatality rate, and percentage of cases removed to hospital in each of the quinquennial periods since 1911. TABLE No. 29.
| Quinquennial Periods. | Average Annual case-rate per 1,000 population. | Average Annual case-fatality rate. | Average Annual percentage of cases removed to hospital. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1911-15 | 1.24 | 5.8 | 89 |
| 1916-20 | 1.35 | 8.9 | 92 |
| 1921-25 | 1.81 | 7.2 | 93 |