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

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Willesden 1893

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]

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31
Sanitary Report, 1893.
In making these calculations of the death rate
of each zymotic disease I have excluded the residents
in the Hendon Workhouse, as I am not aware of the
causes of the 45 deaths that occurred there.
Measles.
This disease has been less prevalent than last
year; the deaths due to it have been 11, equal to a
rate of 0.15 per 1,000, which is considerably below
the average 0.41. Last year the deaths were 48.
Generally I have found the deaths from Measles to
exceed the deaths from scarlet fever, but it is not
so this year. No deaths occurred in the East or
West Wards.
Whooping Cough.
This has maintained about its usual rate, the
deaths numbering 34.
In the year 1890 the deaths were 43
1891 „ 42
1892 „ 36
1893 „ 34
Taking the increased population into consideration
the death-rate from this disease during the last four
years has decreased, it was in excess of the general
average but this year is about equal. It is to be
hoped that this gradual improvement is due to a
better appreciation on the part of the public of the
care and treatment requisite in these cases. It was
for a long time the practice among parents not only
to allow but to send their children out in the open
air regardless of weather and cold winds, and totally
disregarding the stage which the disease had reached
and ignorant of the very infectious nature of it.