Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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OTHER DISEASES.
OTHER DISEASES.
Heart Disease.—There were last year 221 deaths—92 of males and 129 of females—from the
various affections of the heart, the mortality rates being : Persons, 1.52 ; males, 1.51 ; and females,
1.52. During 1910.12 the mean mortality rates were: Males, 1.15; females, 1.08; and during
1920-22, males, 1.52; females, 1.41.
Cerebral Hemorrhage, Apoplexy.—There were during the past year 109 deaths—.48 males
and 61 of females—the mortality rate being 0.75 per 1,000 persons. The mortality rate for males
during the year was 0.78, as compared with means of 0.48 (1910-12) and 0.63 (1920-22), those for
females being 0.72 in 1922, 0.46 during 1910-12, and 0.60 during 1920-22.
Alcoholism.—Acute and Chronic.—The deaths in 1922 numbered 5—.2 of males and 3 of females
—being one more than in 1921—3 of males and 1 of a female. The average annual numbers (persons)
during the following periods were : 1909-13, 11; 1914-18, 7; 1919-20, 3 ; and 1921-22, 4.
During 1910.12 the mean annual mortality was : Males, 0.07 ; females, 0.04, the means for
1920.22 being: Males, 0.07; females, 0.02.
Cirrhosis of the Liver.—To this cause 5 deaths—2 of males and 3 of females—were due last year'
as compared with 13—8 of males and 5 of females—in 1921. The following are the annual average
numbers: 1909-13, 15; 1914-18, 19; 1919-20, 6; and 1921-22, 11.
During 1910-12 the mean mortality among males was 0.11, and that among females 0.07, the corresponding
means for 1920.22 being males 0.10 and females 0.04.
The combined figures given in the two preceding sections may be taken to represent the mortality
from alcoholic excess, the deaths from such causes during the year numbering 10—4 of males and 6
of females. The mortality rates were : Persons, 0.07; males, 0.06; and females, 0.07. For the
years 1909.13 the annual average was 26, for 1914.18, 26, for 1920.22, 9.
During the three years 1910.12 the mean rates were: Persons, 0.17; males, 0.18; females,
0.17; and during 1920-22 : Persons, 0.08 ; males, 0.11 ; females, 0.06.
Venereal Disease.—.The attendances at the Venereal Disease Clinic, St. Mary's Hospital,
numbered 9,111, 6,256 being made by persons giving addresses within the Metropolis. The number
of residents of the Borough attending cannot be given.
The mortality rates from syphilis are by no means satisfactory evidence of the real fatality due
to the disease. Moreover, the deaths certified due to it are mainly those of very young infants. Many
of the diseases treated in lunatic asylums, certain forms of disease of the circulatory and other organs
have their origin in venereal disease—but very rarely is that origin mentioned in the death certificate.
During 1910.12 the mortality rates from syphilis were : Males, 0.11 per 1,000; females, 0.06,
and those during 1920.22 : Males, 0.08; females, 0.03. Last year 3 deaths of males and 5 of females
were ascribed to the disease, equivalent to rates of 0.04 and 0.05 per 1,000 of each sex.
TUBERCULOSIS.
(See Tables III., VI., VII..XI., Appendix.)
Notification.—During 1922, 961 certificates were received, including 6 inward transfers and 123
for dispatch to other districts, the nett number of certificates relating to residents of the Borough
being 834, of which 526 were " repeats." The final total of newly certified cases was 312—204 of
pulmonary and 108 of other forms of the disease. In comparison with 1921 last year's total showed
a decrease of 57 cases—40 of pulmonary and 17 of other forms.
Ten years have elapsed since notification was applied to all forms of tuberculosis in all ranks of
society by the "Tuberculosis Regulations, 1912." The number of cases reported annually fell from
836 in 1913—664 of pulmonary and 172 of other forms—to 502 in 1917—355 of pulmonary and 147
of other forms. For the quinquennium the annual average was 600—446 of pulmonary and 154 of
other forms. In the following quinquennium the numbers fell from 451 in 1918—325 pulmonary
and 126 of other forms—to 312 in 1922—204 of pulmonary and 108 of other forms, the annual average
for the period being 374—267 of pulmonary and 107 of other forms. In comparison with the first
period of the average for 1918.22 shows a total fall of 39 per cent., 40 in pulmonary cases and 30 in
those of other forms.
The figures for 1913 cannot, however, be regarded as other than artificial, as they do not represent
cases newly diagnosed during the year, but cases under treatment, many of such cases having been
diagnosed in previous years. Tentative adjustment has been made of the records for 1913, based
on the numbers recorded during the years 1914.17, such adjustment reducing the annual average
for 1913.17 to a total of 540 cases—391 of pulmonary and 149 of other forms. In comparison with
those estimated averages, the reductions shown by the averages for 1918-22 become, total cases 31
. less, pulmonary, 32 and other forms 28.