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
City of Westminster 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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59
Influenza—This complaint prevailed during the first half of the
year, but especially in the first three months. In London the deaths
recorded from this complaint began to rise at the end of January.
During that month they averaged about 26 a week; they rose to a
maximum of 141 deaths in the fourth week of February, after which
they slowly declined. These figures, however, only represent a proportion
of the deaths brought about by this complaint, many others being
attributed to secondary causes resulting from influenza.
In Westminster 50 deaths were ascribed to this cause, 27 of them
being in the first quarter of the year. All the deaths were those of
adults.
Schools and Infectious Disease.
School Teachers are required to notify me when they exclude children on account of infectious disease. The following list shows how far this was carried out and the nature of the cases notified:—
| School. | Actual Cases. | Infection in House. | Other Causes. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken-pox. | Measles. | Mumps. | Whooping-cough. | Chicken-pox. | Measles, | Mumps. | Whooping-cough. | ||
| Charing Cross Road | 9 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 1 | _ | 1 | 1 ringworm. |
| Horseferry Road | 3 | — | 6 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | 6 ringworm. |
| Buckingham Gate | 31 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 10 | - | - | f 2.German measles. 1.7 ringworm. |
| Pulteney | 13 | 34 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 24 | - | — | 1 ringworm. |
| St. George's Row | 20 | 64 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 38 | 3 | — | 19 ringworm. |
| Millbank | 11 | 117 | 48 | 5 | 3 | 32 | 2 | - | 57 ringworm. 9 German measles. |
| Tower Street | - | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Wild Street | 1 | 12 | — | 12 | 2 | 3 | — | 4 | 11 ringworm. |
| Brompton Higher Grade | — | — | 3 | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | |
| Christ Church | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | |
| Holy Trinity St. Anne's | 7 | 54 | — | — | 5 | 51 | — | — | 1 ringworm. |
| 5 | 38 | 4 | — | 4 | 18 | — | — | 8 ringworm. | |
| St. Anselm's | — | - | 6 | — | — | — | 7 | — | 2 German measles. |
| St. Barnabas | —- | — | — | 17 | — | — | — | 3 | 8 ringworm. |
| St. Clement Danes | —- | — | 1 | — | 3 | — | — | — | 3 ringworm. |
| St. Edward's, Dufour's Place | - | - | - | - | - | 4 ringworm. 1 German measles. | |||
| St. Gabriel's | 4 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 10 | 5 | |
| St. George's, South Street | — | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| St. James the Less | 3 | 8 | - | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | 7 ringworm. 1 German measles. |
| St. Margaret's | — | 12 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | |
| St. Martin's, Adelaile Place | — | 8 | — | — | — | 4 | — | ||
| St. Martin's, Castle Street | — | 6 | — | — | — | 2 | — | _ | |
| St. Mary's, 43, Great Peter Street | — | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7 ringworm. 11 German measles. | |
| St. Mary's, Hide Place | 20 | 21 | 8 | - | 8 | 11 | 1 | - | |
| St. Matthew's | 4 | 20 | _ | — | — | 9 | — | — | 14 riag»vorm. |
| St. Michael's | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | ||
| St. Paul's | 6 | — | 28 | — | — | — | 4 | — | 2 ringworm. 1 German measles. |
| St. Peter's, Lower Belgrave Place | 4 | 3 | 25 | 1 | - | - | 6 | - | |
| St. Peter's and St. James' | 26 | 1 | — | — | 9 | 5 | — | — | |
| St. Stephen's | 36 | 17 | 7 | — | 15 | 11 | 1 | — | |
| Wesleyan Training | 4 | 22 | 2 | — | 1 | 19 | 1 | — | 2 German measles. |
| Westminster Jews' Free | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 ringworm. |
| 210 | 491 | 159 | 62 | 101 | 257 | 38 | 13 | ||
There were 17 cases of German measles.
A copy of each notification of fever, diphtheria, &c., received from