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

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Shoreditch 1901

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]

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24
and 0.82 in 1892. The deaths from measles in the Metropolis during 1901 numbered
1960—the death-rate being 0.43 per 1000 inhabitants. Deaths from measles in Shoreditch
were most numerous during the months of June, July, August, September, and
December.
WHOOPING COUGH.
The above disorder occasioned 58 deaths, 27 of males and 31 of females. With
one exception the whole of the deaths were of children under five years of age. The
death-rate due to whooping cough was 0.49 per 1000 as compared with 0.35 in 1900,
0.36 in 1899, 0.80 in 1898, 0.49 in 1897, 0.94 in 1896, 0.67 in 1895, 0.70 in 1894 and
0.54 in 1893. The number of deaths from whooping cough in the Metropolis during
1901 was 1609 and the death-rate was 0.35 per 1000 inhabitants.
Both in the case of measles and whooping cough death usually results through
some complication such as bronchitis or pneumonia. Hence it is of the utmost
importance in these disorders that proper attention and treatment should be given
especially during the early stages of the disease.
INFLUENZA.
This disease, judging from the number of deaths, was not so prevalent in
Shoreditch as in 1900. The deaths numbered 16 as compared with 52 in 1900, 35 in
1899, 22 in 1898, 16 in 1897, 7 in 1896, 57 in 1895, 15 in 1894 and 36 in 1893. The
deaths in Shoreditch during 1901 mostly occurred during the first five months of the
year.
The deaths from influenza in London during 1901 numbered 664 as compared with
1950 in 1900 and 1817 in 1899. The deaths were most numerous during the months
of March and April.
TUBERCULOSIS.
Tuberculosis (see appendix Table V., Nos. 20 to 34) was responsible for no less than
363 deaths as against 343 for last year. The majority of the deaths from tuberculosis
were the result of consumption. Nearly one-seventh of the total mortality amongst
the people of Shoreditch during 1901 resulted from this terrible disease, and
the death-rate due to it was 3.0 per 1,000 inhabitants, varying from 36 in Shoreditch
South to 2.5 in Hoxton New Town.
The Borough Council disinfects, free of charge, after cases of taberculosis, but the
preferred services of the Council's officers for this purpose have been hitherto in many
instances rejected, ordinary steps as to cleansing being relied upon or no precautions
at all being taken. Probably in most of these cases th fact as to the infectious
nature of tuberculosis is not really grasped, and the people are inclined to regard the
special precautions recommended as unnecessary. However, in some cases a very
lively dread of the disease as being an infectious malady is met with, and in these
cases the people are only too glad to avail themselves of the services of the Council's
officers. During 1901 disinfection by the officers of the Borough Council was
carried out in connection with 55 houses in which persons suffering from tuberculosis,
chiefly consumption, had lived or died.