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 1925
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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100
The success which has been achieved in recent years in reducing mortality
due to measles is a gratifying feature of London public health administration. The
following table illustrates the progressive decline in the number of deaths among
persons of all ages during the three quinquennia, 1911-15, 1916-20 and 1921-25
It will be observed that, whilst the quinquennial incidence of cases remains
fairly constant among school children, and presumably for the whole population,
there has been a very marked and progressive reduction in the total number
of deaths.
For purposes of comparison, similar data with regard to whooping cough are shown:—
| Quinquennium. | Measles. | Whooping cough. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of cases among school children. | No. of deaths (all persons). | No. of cases (school children). | No. of deaths (all persons). | |
| 1911—15 | 116,754 | 9,596 | 7 | 4,872 |
| 1916—20 | 115,093 | 5,830 | 39,926 | 4,010 |
| 1921—25 | 116,956 | 3,859 | 48,427 | 3,479 |
The resulting rates for the past ten years are given in the following table, the corresponding rates for whooping-cough being also shown for the purpose of comparison (see also the diagram on p. 101).
| Year of birth. | Deaths per 1,000 hom, up to 5th year of ace. | |
|---|---|---|
| Measles. | Whooping cough. | |
On comparing the figures relating to children born in 1911-15 with those for
children born in 1916-20, it will be seen that almost all the decrease in measles
mortality is accounted for by the drop in and since 1917, while in whooping-cough
the mortality during the two periods has not shown nearly so marked a
change.