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 1904
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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18
diphthkkia.
From 7 out of the 12 houses where multiple cases occurred, two or more notifications
were received on the same day, viz., in six instances, two cases, and in one, three. As regards
the house whence four notifications were received the nature of the malady was not recognised,
and isolation (removal to hospital) not effected until three children had been taken
ill. One house whence 3 cases were reported, and the patients removed to hospital,
may be disregarded, the second and third cases being subsequently reported as errors of
diagnosis. Of the 140 reported cases 15 were afterwards certified as erroneously diagnosed,
11 of the patients going to hospital. There were other cases, kept at home, the duration of
which was so short as to suggest erroneous diagnosis. In 2 cases the infection was apparently
contracted outside the Borough, and in 2 others the attacks followed the discharge of a
patient from a provincial hospital. In 5 instances the death of the patient took place on or
before the day on which the certificate was received. Cats are strongly suspected as channels
of infection, and it is interesting to note that in four families, the house cat was reported to
be ill. In only one instance was the cat secured for examination, the result of which was
negative.
One hundred and one of the 140 patients were removed to hospital, equal to 72.1 per
cent. of the cases, a smaller proportion than that of any of the vears 1901-03. (See Table 17).
The percentage of cases removed to hospital varied from zero in Lancaster Gate (East) Ward
to 82 in Queen's Park Ward.
TABLE 17. DiphthEria. 1904.
| District. | Cases Notified.* | To Hospital. | Per cent. Cases Notified to Hospital | Deaths. At Home. In Hospital | Fatalities. per cent. cases treated At Home. In Hospital | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 14 | 82 | — | 3 | — | 21.4 | ||
| Harrow Road | 32 (5) | 22 (4) | 69 | 9 | 1 | 22.9 | 5.5 | |
| Maida Vale | 28 (4) | 20 (2) | 71 | 1 | 2(1) | 16.6 | 11.1 | |
| Westbourne | 16 (1) | 11 | 69 | — | — | — | 16.6 | |
| Church | 28 (4) | 22 (4) | 78 | 2 | 5 | 33.3 | 27.7 | |
| Lancaster Gate, West | 4 | 3 | 7.1 | — | — | — | — | |
| „ East | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Hyde Park | 11 (1) | 9 (1) | 81 | — | 1 | — | 12.5 | |
| Borough | 1904† | 140 (15) | 101 (11) | 72.1 | 5 | 12 | 14.2 | 13.3 |
| 1903 | 145 (22) | 123 (15) | 84.8 | 15 (2) | 13.3 | 12.1 | ||
| 1902‡ ... | 211 (18) | 160 (12) | 75.8 | 13 | 18 | 28.8 | 12.1 | |
| 1901 | 343 (?) | 270 (?) | 78.7 | 18 | 28 | 24.6 | 10.3 | |
*The figures in parentheses indicate the numbers of cases erroneously diagnosed as diphtheria. These cases
(deaths') have been allowed for in calculating the fatalities.
†Two further deaths from diphtheria were recorded, one each Queen's Park and Harrow Road Wards, but as
the cases were not notified, the deaths have been excluded from this table.
‡One other death from diphtheria was registered during the year (in Maida Vale Ward) but the case not
having been notified the death has been excluded from this table.