London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Wandsworth 1890

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]

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71
With reference to the question as to the desirability of
including Measles in the list of notifiable diseases it may
here be observed that whereas the whole of the diseases
notified in the past year resulted in 29 deaths, the deaths
from Measles alone which is at present not notified
amounted to 47. This would seem to suggest the propriety
of employing the power which the "Infectious Disease
Notification Act" affords of putting the procedure of
Notification in force during the prevalence of any
epidemic disease not included in the list contained in
the Act, but against the spread of which disinfection and
other sanitary measures can be successfully directed.
The subjoined Table shews the months in which the
deaths from the seven principal epidemic diseases occurred
and the total number in each quarter in relation to its
mean temperature:—

TABLE VI.

DISEASE.J anuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Mean Temp. 41.4Mean Temp. 52.8Mean Temp. 59.4Mean Temp. 40.8
Small Pox........................
Measles......22381533101
Scarlatina........................
Diphtheria..221..1......121
Whooping Cough16154226413..
Diarrhœa11..11..71951..1
Fever..1........1..2....1
Totals21039761840146154
15227225

The deaths in the third quarter are seen to have
exceeded by nearly a sixth part the combined numbers
of the other quarters, and the excess to have been
due to Measles and Infantile Diarrhoea.