London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Paddington 1905
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
This page requires JavaScript
MEASLES. 29
MEASLES.
During the past year 1,714 cases of measles came to the knowledge of the Department,
chiefly from particulars supplied by the school-teachers. In 190-1, 890 cases were reported or
discovered, and, in 1903, 929. Weekly records are kept of the cases newly investigated, and
from those records the following statement has been compiled:—
Quarters 1 2 3 4 Year.
St. Mary 196 570 244 286 1,296
St. John 12 116 41 1 170
North-West Paddington 19 209 7 1 236
1905 227 895 292 288 1,702
1904 723 94 18 23 858
1903 ... 42 147 185 362 736
The total for each year is always in excess of the number recorded by the weekly
analysis.
Last year there were 63 deaths (23 of males and 40 of females), the fatality (per 100
known cases) being 3.6. In 1904 the fatality was at the rate of 4.3 per cent., and, in
1903, 4.1. It is not easy to say why the fatality decreased, but two suggestions may be put
forward:—
(a) Either a larger proportion of the cases came to the knowledge of the
ment; or,
(b) The time of year at which the greater number of attacks occurred was more
favourable to a recovery. Thus, in 1903, 55 per cent. (approximately)
occurred in the 1st and 4th quarters of the year; in 1904, 87 per cent.; and
in 1905, only 30 per cent.
The fatality for each sex—per 100 known cases—has been:—
| 1905 | Male, 2.9 | Female, 4.2 |
|---|---|---|
| 1904 | „ 5.2 | 3.5 |
| 1903 | „ 5.2 | 3.1 |
The Ward distribution of cases and the corresponding fatalities for the past three years are given below
| C. | D. | F. | C. | D. | F. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen's Park | 1905 | 244 | 3 | 1.2 | Church | 1905 | 434 | 25 | 5.7 |
| 1904 | 288 | 15 | 5.2 | 1904 | 129 | 5 | 3.8 | ||
| 1903 | 50 | 4 | 8.0 | 1903 | 321 | 15 | 4.6 | ||
| Harrow Road | 1905 | 461 | 20 | 4.3 | Lancaster Gate (West) | 1905 | 27 | — | — |
| 1904 | 231 | 10 | 4.3 | 1904 | 54 | 1 | 1.8 | ||
| 1903 | 185 | 8 | 4.3 | 1903 | 10 | — | — | ||
| Maida Vale | 1905 | 185 | 5 | 2.7 | Lancaster Gate (East) | 1905 | 65 | 1 | 1.5 |
| 1904 | 69 | 6 | 8.7 | 1904 | 27 | 1 | 3.7 | ||
| 1903 | 113 | 2 | 1.7 | 1903 | 11 | — | — | ||
| Westbourne | 1905 | 187 | 7 | 3.7 | Hyde Park | 1905 | 111 | 2 | 1.8 |
| 1904 | 79 | 1 | 1.2 | 1904 | 19 | — | — | ||
| 1903 | 221 | 9 | 4.0 | 1903 | 18 | 1 | 5.5 | ||
| C.—Cases. D.—Deaths F.— Fatality per 100 Cases. | |||||||||
In 1903, 896 cases of measles occurred in 496 houses (average 1.08 per house); in 1904
there were 929 cases in 491 houses (average 1*8); and, in 1905, 1,714 cases in 958 houses