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
Stoke Newington 1914
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stoke Newington, The Metropolitan Borough]
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123.
In one case the infection was probably imported; the patient
complaining of feeling ill ever since arriving from Japan, some
seven weeks previously.
DIPHTHERIA.
The 99 cases of Diphtheria occurred in 79 houses, 9 of which were more or less insanitary. The sanitary defects were grave in 1 instance, and slight in 8.
| Year. | Death-Rate for Stoke Newington. | Rate for London generally. | Rate for England and Wales. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 0.27 | 0.30 | 0.27 . |
| 1902 | 0.09 | 0.25 | 0.23 |
| 1903 | 0.13 | 0.16 | 0.18 |
| 1904 | 0.19 | 0.16 | 0.17 |
| 1905 | 0.09 | 0.12 | 0.16 |
| 1906 | 0.08 | 0.14 | 0.17 |
| 1907 | 0.11 | 0.16 | 0.16 |
| 1908 | 0.02 | 0.15 | 0.16 |
| 1909 | 0.02 | 0.13 | 0.14 |
| 1910 | 0.04 | 0.09 | 0.12 |
| 1911 | 0.06 | 0.13 | 0.13 |
| 1912 | 0.00 | 0.10 | 0.11 |
| 1913 | 0.12 | 0.09 | 0.12 |
| 1914 | 0.06 | 0.16 | 0.15 |
This table shows the considerable and progressive decline in
the death-rate from Diphtheria which has occurred for many years.
This decline is to be mainly attributed to the use of antitoxin, as
the virulence of Diphtheria has not become reduced to anything
approaching the same degree as in the case of Scarlet Fever.
School attendance was alleged by the parents to be the cause
of attack during the year in 8 instances.
Two cases appear to have caught the infection from previous
cases in the same household. In 3 cases it was very clear that
a preceding Tonsilitis predisposed to an attack of Diphtheria.
One case was imported into the Borough. It is of further interest
to record the great number of instances in which we were informed
by the parent that the children had histories of "weak throats,"
with frequently recurring attacks of Tonsilitis - and the very mild
nature of several of the attacks.