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 1889
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]
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| 1879 | 1880 | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | 1885 | 1886 | 1887 | 1888 | 1889 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small-pox | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Measles | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 21 | .. | 5 |
| Scarlet Fever | 5 | 31 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 8 | .. | .. | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| Diphtheria | 2 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | |
| Enteric Fever | 3 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Typhus Fever | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| Whooping Cough | 21 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 26 | 6 | 22 | 9 | |
| Epidemic Diarrhoea | 3 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 8 |
| Other Zymotic Diseases | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| Total deaths from Zymotic Diseases | 46 | 68 | 46 | 41 | 65 | 54 | 31 | 67 | 64 | 77 | 32 |
| Zymotic Death-rate. | 2.2 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 23 | 1 8 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 0.8 |
| Death-rate from all Diseases | 15.6 | 13.9 | 12.1 | 12.6 | 14.9 | 15.3 | 13.9 | 15.0 | 11.6 | 11.4 | 10.2 |
On referrence to the Table it will be seen that there
was no death from small-pox, nor was any case notified
during the year as occurring in Streatham. London as a
whole appears to have en j oy ed almost a 1 otal immunity from
the disease. The Report of the Chairman to the Asylums
Board states that "Only 5 cases were received into the
Board's Hospital Ships at Long Reach during 1889, which
shows that the Metropolis enjoyed special immunity from
the disease, an immmunity which may be again ascribed
to prompt notification of the cases to the Medical Officers
of Health for the Districts from which the patients were
removed and to their immediate removal to, and isolation
at Long Reach."
It was only in the Autumn that the conpulsory notification
of Infectious Diseases Act came into operation, this
very important measure of sanitary legislation must exert