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

Dagenham 1931

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Dagenham]

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39
in that group. At the higher ages and particularly in the groups
dealing with the larger number of immunes per family, these figures
are admittedly small.
Taken on the whole, and discounting those groups where only
small numbers are dealt with, the table shows that the percentage
of susceptibles rises as the number of immunes in the family
diminishes.
(2) Another line of enquiry was to determine the effect of
the occurrence of a case of diphtheria in the home on the Schickreactions
of the remainder of the children. The following table
shows for three age groupings the percentage of positive reactors
in the groups, and also the percentage of susceptibles amongst
the total population, including those from homes in which a case

Table: of diphtheria hasoccurred. The effect of a case on any particularchild iscounted only if that infection occurred subsequent to thebirth of thatparticular child.

of diphtheria hasoccurred. The effect of a case on any particularchild iscounted only if that infection occurred subsequent to thebirth of thatparticular child.

Positive.Negative.Total.Percentage Positives.Percentage Positives in general local Population.
Under 830225257.772.7
8 to 1247368356.663.6
12 and over781546.645.9

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From the few figures dealt with, it appears that a case of
diphtheria occurring in the house has a slight but definite effect in
immunizing the remaining occupants of the house.

Table: (3)The third line of enquiry was to analyse the Schick-reactionsof children tested,according to their period of residence here. Thefollowing tableshows this :—

(3)The third line of enquiry was to analyse the Schick-reactionsof children tested,according to their period of residence here. Thefollowing tableshows this :—

Period of Residence.Under 8 Percentage Positive.8 to 12 Percentage Positive.12 and over Percentage Positive.Total Percentage Positive.
Under 6 months .75(8)75(12)80(5)72 (25)
6 to 12 months100 (4)75(12)100(1)76(17)
1 year90(10)68(19)50(6)71 (35)
2 years82 (34)70 (67)45(11)72(112)
3 „73 (74)65(129)62(21)67(224)
4 „77(49)57 (92)41(17)62 (158)
5 „62(16)48 (36)29 (7)49(59)
6 „80(10)88(17)50(4)80(31)
7 „86(15)66(3)83(18)
8 „80(10)— (2)66(12)
9 and over87 (23)33(3)80 (26)