London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Southwark 1906

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark, Borough of]

This page requires JavaScript

The number of cases notified during the last ten years :—

18971351902193
18981441903122
1899178190492
1900307190574
19011351906111

Of the 111 cases notified as many as 105 were removed to hospital,
of which 8 died, a mortality of 6.7 per cent.
In the 6 cases treated at home 4 died, a mortality of 66.6 per cent.
The percentage of cases removed to hospital to the total number
notified was 94 6.
A careful inquiry was made in every case. Oysters were thought to
be the cause in 4 cases, Mussels in 3, Cockles in 5, Periwinkles in 1,
Fried Fish in 10, Water Cress in 4, Meat Pie in 1, and Ice Cream in 6.
The evidence seemed to be conclusive in regard to the shell-fish, and very
strong in attributing many of the cases to fried fish. Twenty-five of the
total cases were infected by contact with those infected. In one group
of cases the father of a family had recently come from India. On his
arrival he sickened with Enteric. Before he was notified as suffering he
had infected four other members of the family. Twenty cases in all could
be traced to this father from India.
On examination of the drains of the houses in Trafalgar Street,
where some of these cases occurred, grave defects were found which, in
my opinion, must have assisted very materially in lowering the health of
the inhabitants of those houses, and so preparing them for the disease.
The first few cases occurred in houses where the drains were in
combination.
DIARRHAEA.
The deaths during the year from this disease numbered 225, as against
183 and 282 for the preceding two years. This number of deaths may not
be considered to be excessive for Southwark in a hot year, during the
months of July, August and September, yet there is the fact that at this
period of the year the milk that is usually given to artificially fed infants is
simply poisonous. It is not impossible to provide suitable milk during
summer weather for infants, and the Council would be doing much good
in the direction of lessening the high infant mortality, if this matter were