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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17
diphtheria.
The numbers reported last year from each Ward will be found in Table 9. Hyde Park
Ward alone had more cases last year (16) than in 1902 (9).
The numbers of cases recorded in the adjacent districts are given in Table 7, and the
morbidity rates for the two last vears in Table 8. All the rates for 1903 were below those
for 1902.
The 145 cases reported in the Borough occurred in 130 houses, distributed as below—
| 1903. | 1902. | |
|---|---|---|
| Houses with one case each | 119 | 161 |
| „ „ two cases | 8 | 20 |
| „ „ three „ | 2 | 2 |
| ,, „ four „ | 1 | 1 |
Three or more cases occurred in 13 streets, compared with 23 in 1902. A tabular list of such streets is appended—
| 1903. | 1902. | 1903. | 1902. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. | h. | c. | h. | c. | h. | c. | h. | ||
| Ashmore Road (II)1 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 6 | Kilburn Park Road (III) | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Avenue, Third (I) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | Market Street (VIII) | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| Bravington Road (IT) | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | Portnall Road (II) | 5 | 4 | 11 | 7 |
| Clarendon Street (V) | 5 | 9 | 8 | 6 | Shirland Road (II) | 3 | 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Fernhead Road (II) | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Star Street (VIII) | 5 | 5 | — | — |
| Goldney Road (II) | 5 | 2 | 2 | 9 | Westbourne Park Road (IV) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Kensal Road (IV) | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |||||
The cases in Market and Star Streets represent part of an outbreak in connection with
St. Michael's School, which had to be closed on account of the prevalence of the disease.
The matter will be dealt with under School Attendance.
Of the 145 reported cases, 22 were subsequentlv found to have been erroneously diagnosed,
12 were due to infection contracted outside the Borough, 2 followed the return
home of previous patients, and in one other case the patient developed diphtheria in hospital,
after admission as a case of scarlet fever. One hundred and twenty-three cases, including
15 "errors" were removed to hospital, equal to 85 per cent. of the notified cases, 9 per cent.
more than in 1902. The highest proportion removed from any Ward was 96 (Church Ward)
and the lowest, 0 (Lancaster Gate, East, Ward). Further details are given in Table 17.
The 15 deaths recorded during the year represent a fatality of 10.3 per cent. of notified
cases (including "errors"), as compared with a fatality of 15T per cent in 1902. In the
Metropolis as a whole the fatalities for the two years were 9.9 and 10.70 respectively.
Among patients treated at home the fatalitv (after correction for "errors") was 13.3 per cent.,
that among the patients removed to hospital, 12.1 per cent. The home fatality was lower
than the rates of 1902 and 1901, while that of hospital cases was equal to rate for 1902, and
higher than that for 1901. (See Table 17).
The deaths (15) were less than one-fourth the decennial average (66) and compare well
with the average for the first quinquennium (86) and with that for the second quinquennium
(47). Nine of the deceased persons were residents of St. Marv's Registration Sub-District, 4 of
St. John's, and 2 of North-West Paddington. The mortalitv rate for the Borough (0.10) was
less than a fourth of the mean (0.44), while as regards the Sub-Districts, the rate for St.
John's (0.11) is the only one not showing a large reduction. Full particulars are appended—
* The Roman figures in parentheses indicate the Ward in which the street, or part of street is situated.
The Wards are numbered thus—
I. Queen's Park. V. Church.
II. Harrow Road. VI. Lancaster Gate, West.
III. Maida Vale. VII. „ „ East.
IV. Westbourne. VIII. Hyde Park.