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
Islington 1912
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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91
[1912
APPENDICITIS.
This disease, of which we read so much in the papers and hear so much
in our private life, shows a considerably decreased mortality, for whereas
the average number of deaths recorded from 1902 to 1911 had been 24, there
were only 13 in 1912. This is the best return in the ten years mentioned.
As no figures are available as to the actual number of cases that have
occurred, it is impossible to state whether or not they, as well as the mortality,
have decreased. The improvement in modern surgery has enabled surgeons
to effect a very great saving of life by the removal of the appendix by an
operation, and such operations seem to be almost invariably successful. It
would be interesting to learn, if the date were available, how much of th's
saving of life has been due to the greater successes of operations. This is,
however, impossible, and the question must be left undecided.
The ages at which people died from the disease is shown in the following statement:—
| Ages. | 1902. | 1903. | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | 1907. | 1908. | 1909. | 1910. | 1911. | Average [902-11. | 1912. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-5 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | |||
| 4 | 4 | 3 | — | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | |||||
| 7 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | — | ||||
| 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | ||
| 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | |||||
| 25-35 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | ||||
| 35-45 | 3 | 4 | 5 | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | ||||
| 45-55 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | — | ||||
| 55-65 | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | |||||
| 65-75 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | ||||
| 75-85 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 32 | 27 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 24 | 24 |