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 1906
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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4
SICKNESS.
TABLE 3.
Births and Birth-Rates.
Based on returns given in the Quarterly Reports of the Registrar-General.
| Births Registered, 1906. | Rates. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per 1,000 persons. | Per 1,000 females, 15-45. | ||||
| 1906. | 1901-5. | 1906. | 1901-5. | ||
| Borough | 3,165 | 21.25 | 22.44 | 65.79 | 69.47 |
| London | 125,652 | 26.61 | 28.12 | 97.22 | 102.74 |
| Kensington | 3,323 | 18.36 | 19.57 | 50.97 | 54.34 |
| Westminster | 2,763 | 15.88 | 17.16 | 48.24 | 52.16 |
| Marylebone* | 4,029 | 31.33 | 30.06 | 95.05 | 91.20 |
| %/ Hampstead | 1,433 | 15.98 | 17.16 | 42.18 | 45.53 |
| Willesden | 4,160 | 28.96 | 31.51 | 104.22 | 113.39 |
* The figures for Marylebone, after correction for births of non-residents in Queen Charlotte's Hospital, are:—
Births, 1906—2,648.
per 1,000 persons.
Birth-rates, 1906—20.59. 1901-5—22.94.
per 1,000 females (15-45 years.)
1906—62.46. 1901-5—69.16.
The intervals which elapse between the birth of the child and the visit of the Inspector
range from a few days to over two months, depending on the channel through which the
information of the birth reaches the Department. A considerable number are reported
within a few days of birth by the County Council, on information supplied by the
midwives, while the remainder (the larger proportion) are not known until registration takes
place in the ordinary manner. Information as to manner of feeding, personal care by the
mother, &c., is therefore unreliable, or, rather, acquired under circumstances which are not
comparable It is of interest, however, to note that of 280 infants fed by bottle, 180 had
tubeless pattern, 87 the long tube, and 13 bottles with screw tops. Twenty other babies
were being spoon fed.
SICKNESS.
The cases of infectious disease reported in accordance with the provisions of Sec. 55 of
the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, rose from 564 in 1905 to 1,083 last year, the highest
number since 1901 when 1,111 cases were reported. The greater part of the increase was
due to scarlet fever, the cases of which increased from 277 to 715 (an increase of 257 per
cent.). The increases in prevalence of diphtheria (197 per cent.) and puerperal fever (171
per cent.) were doubtless in part due to the prevalence of scarlet fever. Enteric fever decreased
by nearly 26 per cent. The morbidity rate for scarlet fever (4.81) was the only one
markedly in excess of the mean for the five years 1901-05. (See Table 4).
The diagram facing this shows how the numbers of cases varied from week to week
during the year. It is interesting to note that the first rise in scarlet fever followed the
re-opening of the schools after the Easter holidays, the second occurred during the summer
holidays, and the third towards the end of the autumn school term. Spread of the disease by
milk supplies appeared to be excluded, although suggested by the curves. The last and
greatest rise was almost certainly due to school infection.