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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 1907
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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WHOOPING COUGH
29
WHOOPING COUGH.
During the year 589 cases of this disease were reported, as compared with 171 in 1906 and 540 in 1905. The disease was much more prevalent in the first than in the second half of the year, as will be seen from the appended summary of the numbers reported in each quarter.
| Quarters | 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | Year. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uncorrected. | Corrected. | |||||
| 1903 | 281 | 35 | 11 | 2 | 339 | 533 |
| 1904 | 23 | 27 | 45 | 98 | 193 | 196 |
| 1905 | 241 | 255 | 38 | 36 | 570 | 540 |
| 1906 | 57 | 65 | 26 | 26 | 174 | 171 |
| 1907 | 189 | 305 | 73 | 48 | 615 | 589 |
The observations under "Measles" as to source of information, &c., apply equally to this
disease, with the reservation that it is believed that a smaller proportion of the cases are
reported, probably because so many of the patients are under school age.
The cases averaged 1.7 per house, as compared with 2.0, 1.8, 1.6, and 1.9 in 1903 and following years. The distribution-frequency of multiple cases in houses during the five years is given below.
| 1907. | 1906. | 1905. | 1904. | 1903. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses with 2 cases | 99 | 31 | 93 | 29 | 71 |
| „ 3 „ | 49 | 17 | 44 | 12 | 44 |
| „ 4 „ | 12 | 4 | 13 | 5 | 12 |
| „ 5 „ | 4 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| „ 6 „ | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| „ 7 „ | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
The deaths last year numbered 50, 25 of each sex, the fatality of the disease (subject to reservation as to unknown cases) was 8.4 per cent., or 0.3 below the mean for the preceding four years. The fatality among males has been higher during the past two years than that among females, the reverse of the experience of the earlier years (1903-05).
| Males. | Females. | Persons. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 9.0 | 9.4 | 9.2 |
| 1904 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 8.1 |
| 1905 | 9.6 | 10.2 | 9.9 |
| 1906 | 8.3 | 6.9 | 7.6 |
| 1907 | 9.2 | 7.8 | 8.4 |
The fatality in the different Wards ranged last year from zero (Lancaster Gate, East, and
Hyde Park Wards) to 11.8 per cent. (Westbourne), but the range of variation of the mean
fatality for the five years is much less if Lancaster Gate, West, Ward be neglected.
There the rate is manifestly misleading.