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
Shoreditch 1905
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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The weekly numbers of cases certified remained fairly steady throughout the year.
They were fewest during the last quarter. The cases were most numerous in Acton
and Haggerston Wards, and least so in Moorfields, the attack-rates being 2.1 and 2.6
per 1,000 inhabitants respectively in the former two wards, and 0.7 in the latter ward.
For the Borough as a whole, 1he attack-rate was 1.5 per 1,000 inhabitants.
The deaths numbered 17, the death-rate being 0.14 per 1,000, as compared with
0.16 in 1904, 0.18 in 1903, 0.18 in 1902, 0.23 in 1901, 0.45 in 1900, and 0.52 in
1899. (Appendix, Table VII.) The case mortality was higher than in 1904, the
attacks proving fatal in 15.2 per cent. of the cases certified (22.1 per cent., allowing
for cases not regarded as diphtheria at the fever hospitals) as compared with 10.3 per
cent in 1904. The mortalities for previous years were 10.7 per cent. of the cases
certified in 1902, 8.8 in 1901, 15.3 in 1900, 17.0 in 1899, 17.3 in 1898, 22.1 in
1897, 21.0 in 1896, 24.1 in 1895, 24.0 in 1894, and 29.0 in 1893. Of the 17 deaths
in 1905, thirteen were of children aged 1 to 5 years, the mortality being 14.7 per
cent. of the cases certified (19.4, allowing for cases not regarded as diphtheria at the
hospitals) as compared with 16.3 in 1904, 23.8 in 1903, 20.5 in 1902, 15.4 in 1901,
22.7 in 1900, 34.2 in 1899, 29.5 in 1898, 36.0 in 1897, 31.8 in 1896, 47.5 in 1895, 43.0
in 1894, and 61.0 in 1893. There were three deaths of children aged between five and
ten years, and one of an adult aged between twenty-five and thirty-five years. The
mortality amounted to 4.5 per cent. of the cases certified amongst persons over five
years of age, but deducting the cases stated not to have been diphtheria, the mortality
was 7.2 per cent.
The usual enquiries were made as to the circumstances attending the occurrence of diphtheria in the Borough. With respect to 127 of the cases certified during the year, they were distributed amongst males and females at certain age periods as set out in the subjoined table:—
| Age Period. | Male. | Female. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Prom 1 to 2 years | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| „ 2 „ 3 „ | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| „ 3 „ 4 „ | 11 | 9 | 20 |
| „ 4 „ 5 „ | 12 | 5 | 17 |
| „ 5 „ 10 „ | 19 | 21 | 40 |
| „ 10 „ 13 „ | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Over 13 years | 7 | 11 | 18 |
| Total | 65 | 62 | 127 |
In 58 of these cases the patients themselves were children attending school, and
in 46 of them they were at school within one week of being certified to have diphtheria.
As has been remarked in previous reports, there were cases in which no doubt