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
Paddington 1903
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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6
notifications.
NOTIFICATIONS.
Last year 732 cases of infectious diseases were certified by medical practitioners in
accordance with Sec. 55 (1) of the Public Health (London) Act, 189L In 1902 (53 weeks)
921 cases were so certified, excluding cases of chickenpox, which disease was temporarily
added to the Schedule. 1 he decline in the number of cases reported in each of the two
years was equal to 21 per cent, of the total for 1902. As will be seen from Table 6, the
cases of all diseases except scarlet and continued fevers were fewer last year than in the
previous year. In the Metropolis the cases reported last year (27,732) were 18,439 fewer than
in 1902 (46,171), all diseases except typhus fever being less prevalent. The notification-rate
for the Borough was 5.01 per 1,000 persons of all ages, or 1.22 less than the rate for 1902
(0.23), while that for the Metropolis (6.00) was 3.91 lower.
TABLE 6. Notifications and Notification-Rates, 1903 and 1902.
| Paddington. | London* | Notification Ratesf | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 1902 | Differences. Increase ( + ) Decrease (—) | 1903 | 1902 | Differences. Increase (+) Decrease (—) | Borough. | London. | ||||
| 1903 | 1902 | 1903 | 1902 | ||||||||
| Smallpox | 5 | 110 | —105 | 417 | 7,814 | —7,397 | 0-03 | 0.73 | 0.09 | 1.67 | |
| Cholera | __ | 1 | —1 | ... | ... | ... | 0.00 | ||||
| Diphtheria | 143 | 205 | —62 | 7,593 | 10,551 | —2,958 | 0.97 | 1.38 | 1.64 | 2.26 | |
| Membranous | |||||||||||
| Croup | 2 | 6 | — 4 | 156 | 192 | —36 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.04 | |
| Erysipelas | 118 | 143 | —25 | 4,382 | 5,554 | —1,172 | 0.88 | 0.96 | 0.91 | 1.19 | |
| Scarlet | 414 | 359 | + 55 | 12,545 | 18,269 | —5,724 | 2.83 | 2.42 | 2.71 | 3.91 | |
| Fevers. | Typhus | 1‡ | ... | + 1 | 4 | + 18 | 0.00 | ... | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Enteric | 43 | 83 | —40 | 2,344 | 3,421 | —1,077 | 0.29 | 0.56 | 0.50 | 0.73 | |
| Relapsing | ... | ... | ... | 1 | 2 | —1 | ... | ... | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Continued | 3 | 1 | + 2 | 41 | 49 | —8 | 0-02 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 | |
| Puerperal | 3 | 14 | —11 | 231 | 314 | —83 | 0.02 | 0.28 | 0.05 | 0.06 | |
| Totals | 732 | 921 | —189 | 27,732 | 46,171 | —18,439 | 5.01 | 6.23 | 6.00 | 9.91 | |
* From Weekly Returns issued by the Metropolitan Asylums Board.
| Per 1,000 persons (estimated) of all ages. J An error of diagnosis.
In Table 7 are given the numbers of cases of the more common diseases recorded in the
adjacent districts, and in Table 8 the rates for those diseases in 1902 and 1903 are compared.
The following are the most noticeable facts recorded in those tables—
1. The great diminution in prevalence of smallpox, enteric fever, and puerperal
fever.
2. The special prevalence of scarlet fever in Paddington, Marylebone and
Willesden.