London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Marylebone 1899

The sanitary chronicles of the Parish of St. Marylebone being the annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1899

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13
SCARLET FEVER.
Scarlet Fever, in its seasonal distribution, w,as somewhat
peculiar. Up to the end of May the notifications were below
the average, but they then rose above the average and reached
a maximum in the fourth week of June. The cases then
declined up to the first week of October; from October to the
early part of December, Scarlet Fever was about the average,
and at the latter end of December but little prevalent. The
total number of cases notified was 385, and of these 24 died,
giving a case mortality of 6 per cent.
DIPHTHERIA.
The curve opposite page 28 shows that Diphtheria
pursued its usual course, and on the whole the number of
cases was about the average. The notifications of Diphtheria
amounted to 188, and the deaths were 29, this gives a case
mortality of 15.4 per cent. The pressure on the accommodation
at the Asylums Board was so great during the latter part
of the year, that some delay was frequently experienced in
getting suitable cases admitted.
TYPHOID FEVER.
Typhoid Fever was generally above the average,
particularly during August, September, and up to the first
week of November. In all 113 cases were notified, 23 of these
cases died, giving a case mortality of a little over 20 per cent.
In each case, as far as possible, the origin was traced. Only
the minority belonged, properly speaking, to the district.
In several cases there appeared to be good evidence that the
infection was taken in with such foods as oysters, mussels, or
other shell fish.
TUBERCULOSIS.
In the Annual Report for 1898, the writer stated that
the average death-rate of Phthisis in this district, was a
little over 2 per thousand. During the past year it was 2.08
per thousand. The actual number of deaths being 307.
The rate is unequally distributed, being for 1899 as
follows:—All Souls, 1.64; Rectory, 3.58; St. Mary, 2.90;
Christ Church, 1.96 ; St. John, 1.65.