Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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18 diphtheria.
was greatest in St. Mary's Sub-District, equal to .39 per cent. (38 per cent. reduction in
diphtheria cases and 86 per cent. membranous croup). In North-West Paddington, the cases
of diphtheria and membranous croup reported last year were equal to the average, while the
decrease in diphtheria amounted to 4 per cent. only. There was an increase in membranous
croup equal to 200 per cent., but the figures are too small to be of any use. It will be seen
from Table 17 that the numbers of cases, both of diphtheria and of membranous croup, recorded
last year in the various Wards were in nearly every case lower than those for 1901, the latter
figures being indicated in parentheses. From Table 18 it will be seen that by far the largest
proportion of cases occurred at school ages, viz.: 5—13 and 13—15.
Both in 1901 and last year the cases from Oueen's Park and Harrow Road Wards formed
more than half the total cases reported, viz. : 117 out of a total of 21 1 in 1902, and 203 out
of 343 in 1901. During both these years there was a heavy incidence of diphtheria in
Willesden, 400 cases being reported in 1901, and 444 in 1902. The morbidity-rates for that
District were 3.42 and 3.58 respectively compared with rates of 2.37, and 1.41 for the Borough.
Of the districts mentioned in Tables 19 and 20, Kensington (rate 1.02 per 1,000 of all ages),
and Hampstead (1.15) were the only two in which the disease was less prevalent last year
than in the Borough (rate 1.49 according to the Registrar-General's figures, 1.41 according to
the Department).
The 211 cases of diphtheria and membranous croup reported last vear occurred in 184
houses, 1(31 houses having one case each; 20, two cases; 2, three; and 1, four. For some
years past a standard of three cases in a street has been adopted for special mention. Below
will be found the lists of such streets, arranged according to Wards, with the figures for 1901
added for comparison.
Diphtheria.
Queen's Park Ward. Harrow Road Ward.
1902. 1901. 1902. 1901.
C. H. C. H. C. H. C. H.
Avenue—3rd 3 2 17 11 Ashmore Road 7 6 8 5
„ —5th 8 8 12 12 Bravington Road 6 6 13 10
Caird Street 4 3 — — Chippenham Rd. 3 3 2 2
Droop Street 3 3 4 4 Fernhead Road 2 2 9 8
Harrow Road 6 5 8 5 Portnall Road 11 7 10 9
Herries Street 3 2 4 3 Saltram Crescent 7 6 6 5
Kilravock Street 5 3 3 3 Shirland Road 9 7 10 5
Lancefield Street 3 2 3 3 Walterton Road 1 1 9 5
Lothrop Street 3 3 3 3 — — — —
Marne Street 4 4 11 9 46 38 67 49
42 35 65 53
Other Wards.
Maida Vale. Cliurcli.
1902. 1901. 1902. 1901.
C. H. C. H. C. H. C. H.
Amberley Road 3 3 7 6 Cirencester Street 3 3
Elgin Terrace 4 3 Clarendon Street 8 6 8 7
Lancaster Gate, East.—Gloucester Place Mews (1902), 3 cases in one house.
The 211 notifications included 23 secondary cases, properly so-called, and of the remaining
188 cases, 18 were subsequently found to have been erroneously diagnosed. Of the 170
primary cases thus remaining, 15 were apparently due to imported infection, and in 3, the
disease was contracted in hospital. There were ten instances of fresh attacks of diphtheria
following the return home of previous patients from hospital.
Of the total cases (211), 160 were treated in hospital and 51 at home. The proportion
removed was equal to 75.8 per cent. of the notified cases, compared with 78.7 in 1901. Ninetytvvo
per cent. of the cases notified in Church Ward were removed to hospital, 88 per cent. in
Note—C., cases; H., houses.