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 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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36
other infectious diseases.
That the time of year has an influence on the mortality from whooping cough similar to that noted in the case of measles, is evidenced by the following figures:—
| Quarters | Percentage Distribution of Cases. | Fatality Year. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | ||
In the year with the highest fatality (1903, 9.9 per cent.) over 80 per cent. of the cases
occurred in the winter quarter, while in that with the lowest (1908, 6.4 per cent.) not quite
20 per cent. of the cases occurred in that quarter.
The mortality from the disease in the whole Borough was 0.07 per 1,000 persons the
lowest on record since 1891. The mean rate for the five years 1903-07 was 0.24, rather more
than three times the rate for last year. Rates lower than that for the Borough were recorded
in Kensington (0.03), Westminster (0.04) and the Hampstead (0.05). Last year's rates were
in every instance below the means. The mortalities in the Wards of the Borough are given
below, that in Church Ward (0.17) being the highest.
| Queen's Park. | Harrow Road. | Maida Vale. | Westbourne. | Church. | Lancaster Gate, | Hyde Park. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West. | East. | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | |||||
OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
The Staffs of the Public Elementary Schools report to the Department all cases of
german measles, mumps, and ringworm—in addition to those of measles and whooping cough
already dealt with—occurring among their scholars. Last year 28 cases of german measles,
241 of chicken pox (subsequently corrected to 229), 93 of ringworm and 56 of mumps were so
reported. The attacks of german measles are so frequently confused with those of measles,
that no separate weekly tabulation is kept of the two diseases. As regards the others the
numbers reported in each quarter of last year are set out below.
One death only (from chickenpox) occurred among the cases reported.
| Quarters | 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | Year. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chickenpox | |||||
| Ringworm | |||||
| Mumps |