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 1914
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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17
scarlet fever.
TABLE 17. Mortality Rates: Corrected. Per 1,000 persons, all ages.
| Wards. | Diphtheria. | Scarlet Fever. | Enteric Fever. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914. | 1913. | 1909-13. | 1914. | 1913. | 1909-13. | 1914. | 1913. | 1909-13. | |
| Queen's Park | 0.12 | 0.06 | 0.13 | 0.12 | — | 0.12 | |||
| Harrow Road | 0.41 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0 .03 | — | — | |||
| Maida Vale | — | 0.12 | — | 0.04 | 0 .05 | — | |||
| H'estbourne | 0.08 | 0.08 | — | — | — | 0.08 | |||
| Church | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.08 | — | 0.04 | |||
| Lancaster Gate, West | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| East | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Hyde Park | 0.08 | 0.23 | — | 0 .07 | 0.16 | 0 07 | |||
SCARLET FEVER.
The figures in Table 6 show that the prevalence of the disease throughout the country was
more marked last year than in 1913. Seven hundred and thirty-eight (738) cases were reported
in the Borough during the year, equivalent to a morbidity rate of 5.19 per 1,000 persons, as
compared with a rate of 3.34 in 1913, and an average of 2.62 for the five years 1909-13. The
curves in the chart facing page 8 indicate that the outbreak reached its maximum point in the
fourth quarter, both in Paddington and in the County.
The total of 738 cases notified last year is the highest attained since 1901, the first year for
which there are complete records for the area constituting the present Borough. High figures,
however, were recorded in 1906 (715 cases), 1908 (631 cases), and 1909 (629 cases). From the
statement given below it will be seen that the morbidity rates for last year were higher than the
averages in all Wards, the excess ranging from 0 26 per 1,000 persons in Lancaster Gate (West)
Ward to 7"09 in Queen's Park Ward.
Scarlet Fever : Morbidity. Per 1,000 persons.
| Queen's Park. | Harrow Road. | Maida Vale. | Westbourne. | Church. | Lancaster Gate, | Hyde Park. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West. | East. | |||||||
| 1914 | 10.27 | 6.44 | 4.04 | 2.99 | 6.69 | 2.03 | 1.37 | 4.06 |
| 1913 | 5.45 | 4.27 | 2.39 | 3.90 | 3.69 | 1.26 | 2.94 | 1.24 |
In 37 cases (5 per cent, of the total) it was found after notification that the original
diagnosis had been erroneous. The proportion of " errors " in 1913 was 5.4, the average for the
five years 1909-13 being 7'3.
The 738 notifications were reported from 576 houses, in 107 of which there were two or
more cases. The house distribution of notified cases during the past five years is given below.
Scarlet Fever.
| 1914. | 1913. | 1912. | 1911. | 1910. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses with 2 cases each | 66 | 47 | 32 | 16 | 23 | |
| „ 3 „ | 32 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 9 | |
| 5 | 5 | — | 2 | 3 | ||
| „ 5 „ | 3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | |
| „ 6 „ | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| „ 7 „ | — | — | 1 | — | — | |
| „ 10 „ | — | 1 | — | — | — | |
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