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

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London County Council 1898

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

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13
The eastern group of districts had, in 1898, the highest mortality from the principal
zymotic diseases, viz., 3.59 per 1,000 living; the western and northern the lowest (2.48). Among
the sanitary districts Limehouse had the highest death-rate (4.26) and St. Martin-in-the-Fields
the lowest (0.88).
Small-pox and Vaccination.
The deaths from small-pox in the Administrative County of London numbered two in 1898,
and eight deaths were attributed to cow-pox and effects of vaccination.

The death-rates from small-pox in successive periods have been as follows—

Period.Smallpox death-rate per 1,000 living.Period.Smallpox death-rate per 1,000 living.
1851-600.2818930.0401
1861-700.2818940.0201
1871-800.4618950.0121
1881-900.1418960.002'
1891_i18970.0041
18920.007118980.0001

The death-rate in each year in relation to the mean death-rate of the period 1841-98 is shown
in diagram IV

During the complete years in which the notification of infectious diseases has been obligatory, the number of cases of small-pox notified to the medical officers of health in the various sanitary districts comprised in the administrative county has been as follows—

Year.Cases notified.Case rate per 1,000 living.
1890600.014
18911140.027
18924250.100
18932,8150.653
18941,1930.274
18959800.223
18962250.050
18971040.023
1898330.007

In publishing this table it is necessary to state that the amount of error in diagnosis of
small-pox is so great as to make the statement that 33 cases of this disease occurred in London in
1898 entirely incorrect. The actual occurrences of small-pox in London in 1898 did not nearly
approach this number, as will be seen by reference to the reports of London medical officers of
health (see page 14).
If the London small-pox death-rate be compared with the death-rates of the following large
English towns, it will be seen that in the period 1888-97 the London death-rate was exceeded by
the death-rates of all, except Liverpool, Leeds, Nottingham, and Salford, while in 1898 in none of
these towns were sufficient deaths registered to give an appreciable death-rate—

Small-pox—Death-rates per 1,000 living.

Towns.1888-97.1898.Towns.1888-97.1898.
London0.0120.002Bristol0.03
Manchester0.02Nottingham0.01
Liverpool0.010.00Bradford0.07
Birmingham0.05Hull0.02
Leeds0.010.00Salford0.01
Sheffield0.14West Ham0.05

If the London small-pox death-rate be compared with the death-rates of the following
foreign towns, it will be seen that in the period 1888-97 the London rate was exceeded by those of
all these cities, except Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Berlin, and in 1898 was exceeded
by those of St. Petersburg, Berlin, and Rome—

Small-pox—Death-rates per 1,000 living.

Towns. *1888-97.1898.Towns.1888-97.1898.
London0.0120.002St. Petersburg0.110.08
Paris0.040.00Berlin0.000.01
Brussels0.100.00Vienna0.05
Amsterdam0.00Rome0.040.01
Copenhagen0.00New York0.030.00
Stockholm

1 See footnote (1), page 3.
2 See footnote (2), page 3.