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 1953
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1953
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SMALLPOX
No case of Smallpox has been notified to the Public Health
Department as having occurred in the Borough since 1928, Information
was received regarding eleven contacts who had travelled to addresses
in the Borough, and all were given advice on the precautionary action
they should take.
The following table briefly sets out the incidence of this disease during the last fifty-four years.
| Notifications received | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 2 | 1 |
| 1901 | 5 | 1 |
| 1902 | 38 | 7 |
| 1903 | 6 | - |
| 1904-1919 | _ | _ |
| 1920 | 1 | — |
| 1921-1927 | - | - |
| 1928 | 1 | |
| 1929-1953 | - | - |
The annual averages of notifications received and the death rate for
the period under rerview are, therefore, 0.98 and 0.16 respectively.
There has been only one serious outbreak of Smallpox during the
century. This occurred in 1902, when 47 cases came to the knowledge
of the Medical Officer of Health, but only 38 were actually notified.
During that particular year, 7,797 cases were notified in the County of
London, and case rates per 10,000 of population in this and adjacent
Boroughs, were as follows:-
CHELSEA 5.8
Kensington 6.4
Fulham 7.4
Paddington 9.2
Hammersmith 12.3
Westminster 18.5
County of
London 20.6