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 1915
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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The age distribution of the total deaths (52 weeks) in 1914 and 1915 was as follows:—
| 0— | 1— | 2— | 5— | 10— | 15— | 20— | 25— | 35— | 45— | 55— | 65 + | All ages. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 67 | 56 | 92 | 96 | 132 | 387 | 548 | 1,259 | 1,438 | 1,218 | 676 | 312 | 6,281 |
| 1915 | 59 | 63 | 127 | 102 | 160 | 448 | 582 | 1,301 | 1,594 | 1,340 | 672 | 334 | 6,782 |
| Increase ( + ) | —8 | + 7 | + 35 | + 6 | + 28 | + 61 | + 34 | + 42 | + 156 | + 122 | —4 | + 22 | + 501 |
| Docrease (—) |
It does not appear that the increase can be attributed to the war, since ages both below and above
the years of active service show increase.
Under the Orders of the Local Government Board relating to the notification of tuberculosis,
14,712 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and 3,949 cases of other forms of tuberculosis were notified as
"primary" cases in London during 1915. The corresponding figures for 1914 were 16,467 pulmonary
and 3,862 other forms respectively. Systematic notification was not instituted until 1st February,
1913, and in consequence some uncertainty attaches to a comparison of these figures, since at the outset
all cases, however far advanced, were notifiable as "primary" cases, and some old standing cases may
have escaped notification during the first year or so.
The following is an analysis of the cases notified in London in 1915 (52 weeks) :—
| Form of tuberculosis notified. | Sex | Notifications on Form A. (Total of primary notifications received in London boroughs, other than elementary school cases, infra). | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0— | 1 — | 5— | 10— | 15— | 20— | 25— | 35 — | 45 — | 55— | 65 + | Age not stated. | Total. | |||||||
| Pulmonary tuberculosis | M. | 34 | 181 | 409 | 359 | 508 | 779 | 1,817 | 1,826 | 1,306 | 639 | 219 | 4 | 8,081 | |||||
| F. | 10 | 153 | 356 | 474 | 606 | 762 | 1,567 | 1,255 | 723 | 320 | 151 | 2 | 6,379 | ||||||
| Other tuberculosis | M. | 161 | 455 | 548 | 287 | 137 | 71 | 106 | 66 | 47 | 27 | 24 | 3 | 1,932 | |||||
| F. | 99 | 367 | 444 | 295 | 149 | 101 | 105 | 63 | 43 | 12 | 18 | 1 | 1,697 | ||||||
| All forms of tuberculosis | M. | 195 | 636 | 957 | 646 | 645 | 850 | 1,923 | 1,892 | 1,353 | 666 | 243 | 7 | 10,013 | |||||
| F. | 109 | 520 | 800 | 769 | 755 | 863 | 1,672 | 1,318 | 766 | 332 | 169 | 3 | 8,076 | ||||||
| Form of tuberculosis notified. | Sex. | Notifications on Form B. (Primary notifications of cases discovered through medical inspection in elementary schools). | Notifications on Form C. (Secondary notifications from institutions receiving cases). | ||||||||||||||||
| 0— | rj_ | 10— | 15 + | Total. | Poor law. | Other. | |||||||||||||
| Pulmonary tuberculosis | M. | 3 | 53 | 50 | 1 | 107 | 2,702 | 2,121 | |||||||||||
| F. | 4 | 59 | 82 | — | 145 | 1,110 | 1,196 | ||||||||||||
| Other tuberculosis | M. | 9 | 108 | 79 | 1 | 197 | 245 | 53 | |||||||||||
| F. | 6 | 60 | 56 | 1 | 123 | 224 | 63 | ||||||||||||
| All forms of tul>erculosis | M. | 12 | 161 | 129 | 2 | 304 | 2,947 | 2,174 | |||||||||||
| F. | 10 | 119 | 138 | 1 | 268 | 1,334 | 1,259 | ||||||||||||
Influenza, bronchitis, and pneumonia.
The civilian deaths attributed to influenza, which in 1914 numbered 613, rose to 1,058 in 1915.
The deaths from bronchitis numbered 7,058 in 1915, compared with 5,292 in 1914. In 1915 the deaths
from pneumonia were 7,133, as compared with 5,604 in 1914.
On comparing the quarterly deaths it will be found that the increase in the deaths from influenza
in 1915 over 1914 occurred almost entirely in the first quarter, the total increase in that quarter being
401 deaths in the general population. The increase is apparent at all ages, except the first year of life,
but the greater part of the deaths occur at high ages.
Cerebrospinal v eningilis.
During the first seven years following the introduction of compulsory notification in London
the disease did not assume epidemic dimensions ; after the first nine months (in which 135 cases were
notified) approximately some 100 cases only were notified each year, and the number fell in 1914 to73.
During the first five months of 1915 no fewer than 467 cases were notified, there then followed a decided
decline, but in the early months of 1916 a slight recrudescence occurred. The total number of cases