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 1925
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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in the limited accommodation at their disposal. Measles is often followed
by a more or less prolonged period of ill-health, which can be ameliorated
by good food and fresh air, and seeing that the greater proportion of
cases are drawn from the poorer classes in the congested areas of cities and
towns, the inability to obtain these two vital necessities points to the
desirability of the establishment of convalescent homes, where patients
recovering, not only from measles but from other infectious diseases, can
have a better chance of recovery.
Deaths.—One of the cases proved fatal.
For the whole population of Westminster, the death rate was 0.07
for London 0.08 and for England and Wales 0.13 per 1,000.
Visiting and Nursing.—44 visits were paid to families in which were
one or more cases of measles by the Health Visitors. The assistance oi
District Nurses was called in three instances and 32 visits were paid.
| 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | 14 | 43 | 9 | 25 | 13 |
| Females | 16 | 52 | 11 | 31 | 24 |
| 30 | 95 | 20 | 56 | 37 |
The death-rate in 1925 was 0.26 per 1,000, the rate for London being
0.23. Last year the corresponding rates were higher, being 0.39 for
Westminster and 0.36 for London.
Of the 37 deaths in 1925, 16 were in individuals over 60 years of age
and 11 in those between 45 and 65 years. This disease affects all ages
and all classes of society, and although there were a considerable number
of cases, they seem generally to have been of a mild type. When accompanied
or followed by conditions such as cardiac or kidney disease,
bronchitis or pneumonia, this affection tends to end fatally and, as is to
be expected, the deaths mostly occur among people beyond middle age.
The population of Westminster contains more than the average number of
elderly people and consequently influenza causes a somewhat higher
death-rate here than in London generally.
Diarrhoea and Enteritis.—These terms include the diarrhoea
which is frequently a terminal symptom in certain exhausting diseases;
for example, marasmic infants who are unable to assimilate any sort of
nourishment may suffer from intractable diarrhoea which eventually