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

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London County Council 1896

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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29
The death rate in each year in relation to the mean death rate of the period 1859.96 is shown
in Diagram VI.
This diagram shows greatly diminished mortality from this disease in recent years, and that this
diminished mortality is in 1896 practically continued, although the death rate was slightly higher than
in 1895. The case rate had in that year somewhat increased, and the fatality slightly decreased.
It will be seen from the following table that in the period 1886.95 the London death rate from
scarlet fever exceeded the death rates of Birmingham, Nottingham and Hull, while in the year 1896
the London death rate was lower than that of any of the undermentioned towns except Leeds, West
Ham, Nottingham and Bradford.

Scarlet fever—Death rates per 1,000 living.

Towns.1886.95.1896.Towns.1886.95.1895.
London.24.212West Ham.24.21
Manchester.40.37Bristol.26.25
Liverpool.50.35Nottingham.18.11
Birmingham.20.29Bradford.32.10
Leeds.25.17Hull.18.25
Sheffield.42.29Salford.56.49

If the London scarlet fever death rate be compared with the death rates of the undermentioned
foreign cities, it will be seen that in the period 1886.95 the London death rate was higher than those of
Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin and Rome; and in 1895 exceeded those of Paris, Brussels,
Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Rome.

Scarlet fever—Death rates per 1,000 living.

Towns.1886.95.1896.Towns.1886.95.1896.
London.24.212St. Petersburg.71.89
Paris.09.07Berlin.23.23
Brussels.04.05Vienna.24.29
Amsterdam.04.07Rome.04.01
Copenhagen.31.11New York.46.21
Stockholm.70.15

In the distribution of scarlet fever mortality among the several districts of London, in the first
quarter, the eastern group of districts suffered most heavily, and the northern group the least, all the
eastern districts but Whitechapel having death rates above the London average for the quarter. In the
second quarter the eastern group suffered most heavily, and the central the least. In the third quarter
the eastern group had the highest mortality, and the southern the lowest; and in the fourth quarter the
central group had the highest death rate, and the northern the lowest. In this quarter the death rate of
St. Luke was especially high. During the year as a whole the eastern group of districts suffered most
heavily, the northern the least. Of the several districts St. Luke had the highest death rate (0.50),
while Holborn was the only district in which no death occurred.

ihe case rate of each district in 1891.5 and in 1896, and the death rate of each district in 1886.95 and 1896, are shown in the following table—

Sanitary area.Cases, 1896.Case rate per 1,000.Deaths, 1896.Death rate per 1,000.
1891.95.1896.1886.95.1896.
Paddington7953.86.322.14.17
Kensington1,0203.45.940.17.23
Hammersmith5324.15.021.23.20
Fulham6284.45.429.25
Chelsea5714.65.823.21.23
St. George, Hanover.square3424.14.211.16.14
Westminster2244.24.110.23.18
St. James753.23.23.17.13
Marylebone8114.35.726.20.18
Hampstead2894.23.87.12.09
Pancras1,0795.84.437.21.15
Islington2,0475.36.057.18.17
Stoke Newington2266.26.618.25.23
Hackney1,5337.136.17
St. Giles1803.94.67.17.18
St. Martin.in.the.Fields733.55.53.21.23
Strand1323.75.56.21.25

2 See footnote (2), page 8.