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

View report page

City of Westminster 1924

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]

This page requires JavaScript

The term "Diarrhoea" in statistical tables includes a variety of
illnesses in which diarrhoea is a prominent or final symptom. It includes
infective enteritis which occurs in the third quarter of the year, illness
due to improper feeding of infants, to inability to digest food from various
inherent causes, and has included deaths which were due to measles,
syphilis and tuberculosis. It also includes deaths in the winter months,
the result of exposure to cold and damp. The reduction shown in the
above Table is due to the greater attention which has been given to the
feeding and care of children in the last 20 years, to improved sanitation,
particularly to the daily collection of house refuse, the greater cleanliness
of houses and their surroundings, better paving and cleansing of roads,

Death Rates from Diarrhceal Diseases.

-Under 1.1-5.5-15.
1901- 518.800.960.05
1906-1013.810.710.02
1911-1514.400.940.02
1916-209.800.470.01
1921-245.130.16-

38
the deaths were of persons over 65 years of age and 16 between 45 and
65 years.
This complaint in a variety of forms dependent on the time of the
year and the presence of different accompanying organisms crops up
regularly every 33 weeks. This year, 1923, bronchitis and pneumonia
were the chief features and no doubt was the cause of an increase of
deaths ascribed to these causes. Research is necessary to ascertain the
reason for this periodicity. Probably as with diphtheria, there may be
persons who are carriers of the specific organism causing the complaint in
whom it remains dormant (or ina non-virulent form until suitable conditions
arise. Most outbreaks of infectious disease occur in cycles and the
reasons for this have not yet been worked out. Investigation is required,
but it is especially urgent in the case of Influenza, not only from the
fatality it causes directly or indirectly and its after effects on the health,
but also because of the serious expense it occasions by the widespread
illness it produces.
Diarrhoea and Enteritis..Six deaths are recorded under this heading
Infective or summer diarrhoea which produces an acute illness was
practically absent, chiefly on account of weather conditions.
The ages at death were under 1 year, 3; 2 to 5 years, 1; 15 to 25,
years, 1 ; over 65 years, 1.