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 1906
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]
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78
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
There has been a very satisfactory decrease in the percentage
of cases of mistaken diagnosis in Diphtheria, this having fallen
from i8'i in 1904 and 11.9 in 1905 to 68 in 1906. This is no
doubt due to the greater care taken by medical practitioners in
diagnosis by having a bacteriological examination made before
certifying that the patient is suffering from this disease.
The following Table shows the number of cases of mistaken diagnosis from these three diseases in the several sub-districts, and for the whole Borough, as well as the percentage of error.
| Disease. | No. of cases of mistaken diagnosis. | Total. | Total cases removed. | Percentage of error in Diagnosis. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clapham. | Putney. | Streatham. | Tooting. | Wandsworth. | ||||
| Scarlet Fever | 7 | ... | 19 | 4 | 17 | 47 | 895 | 5.2 |
| Diphtheria | 7 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 30 | 438 | 6.8 |
| Enteric Fever | 1 | ... | 3 | 3 | 9 | 16 | 53 | 30.1 |
| Total | 15 | 1 | 34 | 12 | 31 | 93 | 1,386 | 6.7 |
In 1905 the percentage of cases of mistaken diagnosis for
the whole of London was, for Scarlet Fever 5.4, compared with
6.7 in 1904; for Diphtheria 17.2, compared with 16.1; and for
Enteric Fever 29.6, compared with 25.9.
Bacteriological Examinations.
During the year 407 bacteriological examinations were made
at the Lister Institute, compared with 174 in 1905, 121 in 1904,
125 in 1903, 98 in 1902, and 66 in 1901.
The following Table shows the number of examinations in
each sub-district, for the whole Borough, also the disease for