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
London County Council 1896
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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the country. The health committee ordered me to prepare a bill, but unfortunately it was found that the
Plumstead Vestry had no power to spend money in the way recommended by the .Royal Commission.
Smallpox in common lodging.houses.—During 1896, 12 cases of smallpox in common lodging.
houses in London were reported to the Council's Public Health Department. One group of cases occurred
in connection with a common lodging.house in Hesketh.road, Kensington, the particulars of which
have already been given in the report of the medical officer of health of that district. Another group
occurred in two common lodging.houses in Campbell.road, Islington, the disease being introduced into
one of the houses by the children of the deputy, who had contracted it from the inmate of a furnished
lodging kept by the keeper. An isolated case occurred in another common longing.house in
Queensland.road, Islington, the sufferer having before his illness lived in a lodging with his sister. A
second isolated case occurred in a common lodging.house in St. Ann's.street, Limehouse. The sufferer
was employed as a kitchen man in this house, and was observed by the Council's inspector to have
an eruption on his face, which the inspector thought resembled smallpox. Medical opinion confirmed
this view. All the cases of smallpox was removed to hospital, and from the two isolated cases referred
to no extension of the disease was discovered.
Since 1880 the Registrar.General has classified the deaths from smallpox under the heads, viz.,
"vaccinated," "unvaccinated," and "no statement." The totals of the 16 years, 1881.96, are as
follows—
| Age period. | All ages. | 0.1 | 1.5 | 5.20 | 20.40 | 40.60 | 60.80 | 80 and upwards. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaccinated | 1,277 | 22 | 33 | 228 | 728 | 224 | 39 | 3 |
| Unvaccinated | 2,028 | 337 | 485 | 667 | 415 | 105 | 18 | 1 |
| No statement | 1,898 | 242 | 224 | 455 | 665 | 247 | 62 | 3 |
The following table, in which the number of deaths at each age period is expressed as a
percentage of the total deaths from smallpox at "all ages," more clearly indicates the relative age
incidence of this disease in the three classes under consideration—
| Age period. | All ages. | 0.1 | 1.5 | 5.20 | 20.40 | 40.60 | 60.80 | 80 and upwards. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaccinated | 100 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 17.9 | 57.0 | 17.5 | 3.1 | 0.2 |
| Unvaccinated | 100 | 16.6 | 23.9 | 32.9 | 20.5 | 5.2 | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| No statement | 100 | 2.7 | 11.8 | 24.0 | 35.0 | 13.0 | 3.3 | 0.2 |
| "Vaccinated" and "Nostatement" | 100 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 21.5 | 43.9 | 14.8 | 3.2 | 0.2 |
| Unvaccinated | 100 | 16.6 | 23.9 | 32.9 | 20.5 | 5.2 | 0.9 | 0.0 |
These tables show a marked difference in the age distribution of smallpox mortality among the
vaccinated and unvaccinated.
The report of the Statistical Committee of the Metropolitan Asylums Board for 1896 supplies the following figures, showing the state as to vaccination of the patients suffering from smallpox, admitted into the institutions of the Board during the year—
| Age period. | Vaccinated. | No evidence as to vaccination, f | Vaccination cicatrices absent. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admissions. | Deaths. | Admissions. | Deaths. | Admissions. | Deaths. | |
| 0— | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 |
| 1— | — | — | — | — | 6 | — |
| 2— | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| 3— | — | — | — | — | 5 | — |
| 4— | — | — | — | — | 4 | — |
| 5— | — | — | — | — | 4 | — |
| 6 — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| 7— | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
| 8— | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 |
| 9— | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 |
| lO. | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | — |
| ll— | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| 12— | 2 | — | — | — | 6 | — |
| 13— | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| 14— | 4 | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| 15— | 24 | — | — | — | 9 | — |
| 20— | 23 | — | 3 | — | 5 | 1 |
| 25— | 28 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| 30— | 11 | — | 1 | — | 2 | — |
| 35— | 12 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 1 |
| 40— | 5 | — | 1 | — | 2 | — |
| 50 and upwards All ages | 4 | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| 116 | 1 | 10 | — | 64 | 8 | |
t Theae cases include cases stated to have been vaccinated, but bearing no visible evidence of the operation, and also those in
which no Btatement was made, but the nature of the eruption or other cause prevented any observation of the marks, if any existed.