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

Lambeth 1898

Report on the vital and sanitary statistics of the Parish of Lambeth during the year 1898

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Table: DEATHS FROM DIFFERENT INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN THE PARISH OF LAMBETH DURING THE LAST TEN YEARS.

DEATHS FROM DIFFERENT INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN THE PARISH OF LAMBETH DURING THE LAST TEN YEARS.

Year.Measles.Whooping Cough.Scarlet Fever.Diphtheria.Total Notifiable Infectious Diseases.
188811917182103256
188915713773155287
18901831945774199
18911282394678185
189218713576127276
189311315169172338
189418211064138269
189515113253103259
189618514063140261
189713914442145245
10 Yrs.1544155362512352575

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These figures prove that Measles is a dangerous infectious
disease, though not so included in the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891, and requires to be stringently
dealt with by a Sanitary Authority, with a view to preventing
its extension. By including Measles in the term
"Dangerous and Infectious Diseases," the prevention
clauses or sections of the Public Health (London) Act,
1891, will apply, and will be the means of impressing upon
people the dangerous nature of this disease and the
importance of stringent measures being taken in connection
therewith. If preventive measures are made to apply to
Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, and Smallpox, they are much
more needed in the case of Measles, which causes 147 per
cent. more deaths than Scarlet Fever, 25 per cent, more
than Diphtheria, and only 33 per cent. less than all the
notifiable infectious diseases combined, and which are at
present included in the term "Dangerous and Infectious
Diseases " (mentioned in the Public Health Act)
As a further argument in favour of these preventive
measures being made applicable to Measles, I may mention
B* 2