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 1913

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]

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Report of the Medical Officer of Health. 87
Of 1,312 cases removed to hospital, in 113 or 8-5 per cent,
the diagnosis was incorrect, compared with 7-8 per cent, in 1912,
8-5 per cent, in 1911, and 12-6 per cent, in 1910.
There has been a slight increase in the percentage of cases of
mistaken diagnosis.
The highest percentage of mistaken diagnosis occurred in
respect of Cerebro-spinal Meningitis, viz.100 per cent., no case
out of seven removed proving on further examination to have been
suffering from that disease.

Table: TABLE L.

TABLE L.

Disease.No. of cases of mistaken diagnosis.Total.Total cases removed.Percentage of error in Diagnosis.
Clapham.Putney.Streatham.Footing.Wandsworth.
Scarlet Fever1324159438425.2
Diphtheria731220125437214.5
Enteric Fever2...1238382i.0
Continued Fever............111ioo'o
Cerebro-spinal Meningitis.........5277ioo'o
Puerperal Fever............11224.5
Polio-Myelitis..................8...
Ophthalmia Neonatorum..................22...
Total2251742281141,3128.7

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In 1912 the percentage of cases of mistaken diagnosis for the
whole of London was, for Scarlet Fever 6.4, compared with 8.7 in
1911 ; for Diphtheria 12.9, compared with 12.7 ; and for Enteric
Fever 40.8 compared with 34.2.