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
Croydon 1894
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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28
Only one more case occurred, soon after this boy was isolated,
but doubtless others would have arisen from this hidden one,
had no examination been made.
Diphtheria and Membranous Group.—The prevalence of
diphtheria has been one of the features of 1894. Sixty four
cases (including one of membranous croup) were notified from
37 houses. Special reports, dealing in detail with the prevalence
of this disease, have been laid before the Sanitary Authority and
the Council, and therefore it will only be necessary to record
here the salient points.
The monthly incidence of the disease is shown in the following
table.
Table H.—Cases of diphtheria notified in 1894.
| Mitcham. | Merton. | Other parts of District. | Total. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases. | Houses Infected | Cases. | Houses Infected | Cases. | Houses Infected | Cases. | Houses Infected | |
| January | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| February | 9 | 6 | 1 | *1 | 10 | 7 | ||
| March | 1 | *1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | ||
| April | 16 | 6 | 16 | 8 | ||||
| May | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||||
| June | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | ||||
| July | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| August | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | ||
| September | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | ||
| October | ||||||||
| November | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | ||||
| December | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | ||
| Total | 50 | 25 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 64 | 37 |
The number of deaths was 21, including one from membranous
croup, giving a case-mortality of 32.8 per cent. All
the fatal cases occurred in Mitcham and Merton, the casemortality
being 37½ per cent. for those parishes.
* These two houses closely adjoin Mitcham parish.