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
Wandsworth 1884
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]
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81
Zymotic Diseases—their prevalence and fatality.
The total number of deaths in this class was 53 as against
65 in 1883—26 of these were of males and 27 of females.
They yield a per centage of 12.0 as against 13.1 in the previous
year upon the number of deaths from all causes during the
year, and give a rate of l.82 per 1,000 of the population.
The following table contrasts all the deaths which resulted from the seven principal epidemic diseases during the first ten years.
| DISEASE. | 1874 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 | 1879 | 1880 | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seven principal Epidemics | Small-pox | 2 | .. | .. | 4 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Measles | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 8 | |
| Scarlatina | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 34 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 8 | |
| Diphtheria | 1 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 3 | |
| Whooping Cough | 3 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 21 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 9 | |
| Typhus, &c. | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 4 | |
| Diarrhæa and Choleraic Disease | 6 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 11 | |
| Totals | 26 | 25 | 31 | 25 | 42 | 36 | 61 | 37 | 31 | 50 | 43 | |
From this table it will be seen that there were 43 deaths
amongst the seven principal epidemic diseases. This number
is below the decennial average allowing for increase of
population, and without such correction it is below some
years of the series. The table shows also that there
was no death from Small-pox and that the deaths from
Scarlet Fever, Typhoid and Diphtheria, were below the
average. The mortality from these especially preventible
diseases was exceedingly low, nor were they ever epidemic,
though they occurred sporadically during the year, and
3 cases of Small-pox and 30 of Scarlet Fever were sent
into Hospital, where 3 cases of the latter died. It is in a
great measure due to the early removal of these cases with