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
Poplar 1895
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Poplar, Bromley, South District comprising the parishes of All Saints Poplar and Bromley Saint Leonard]
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22
SMALL POX.
Seven cases of small pox were notified in Poplar during the year,
they were all removed, but two patients were returned as not having
the disease.
Eighteen cases of small pox were notified in Bromley, and of these
16 were removed and two were treated at home. One of the patients
removed was returned, as he had not the complaint. The Lancet in
an article on the errors of diagnosis states:—
"It is right that we should be reminded in these reports of the
occurrence of errors of diagnosis. We have had occasion before to
observe that the largest number of errors noticed was at the Eastern
Hospital. The ascertained errors here were 3.7 per cent. of cases of
certified scarlet fever, 17.5 percent of certified diphtheria, and 25.8 per
cent. of enteric fever. The last is a large proportion of error, but it is
touched upon kindly and somewhat apologetically by Dr. Goodall
who remarks on the difficulty of an early diagnosis and the danger of
a late removal. Granting that an early removal is desirable when the
disease is ascertained, we still think that an error of 25 per cent. is
one which should be largely reduced, and that while early diagnosis
is an urgent duty there is no excuse for excessive haste. Some illustrations
given of errors of diagnosis in small pox are important.
Eleven of these were—rotheln 2, varicella 2, measles 1, acne 1,
impetigo 1, erythema 1, syphilide 1, exfoliative dermatitis 1, and no
symptom of disease 1. In some cases the disease was not diagnosed.
It would be wrong not to emphasise such facts and to impress on all
medical men that, though errors of diagnosis are occasionally inevitable,
they should be reduced to a minimum for the credit of the
profession and the benefit of our patients. We cannot conclude our
consideration of these reports without a word of praise for the care
with which they are drawn up, and a word of sympathy for the medical
officers and the staff, who work at no small personal risk, as the
reports show. The Chaplain of the South-Eastern Hospital died