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 1907
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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of the four quarters of the year, and the numbers and percentages of such case which were removed to hospital for treatment: —
| Disease. | First Quarter. | Second Quarter. | Third Quarter. | Fourth Quarter. | Total. | Deaths. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Pox | .. | .. | .. | .. | ||
| Scarlet Fever or Scar-latina | ||||||
| Diphtheria & Membra-nous Croup | ||||||
| Typhus Fever | .. | .. | .. | |||
| Cholera | .. | .. | .. | |||
| Enteric (Typhoid) Fever | 7 | 8 | ||||
| Continued Fever | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | |
| Relapsing Fever | .. | .. | ||||
| Puerperal Fever | .. | |||||
| Erysipelas | ||||||
| Plague | .. | .. | .. | .. | ||
| Cerebro Spinal Fever | ||||||
| Totals | ||||||
As compared with the figures for 1906, there were marked increases in the
numbers of cases of scarlet fever and diphtheria. Slight decreases are noticeable
in respect to the other diseases. Cerebro-spinal fever appears in the list for the
first time. The deaths from notifiable diseases show a marked increase, being 20
more than for the previous year. The deaths from the principal zymotic diseases
which are notifiable, namely small pox, scarlet fever, diphtheria and enteric fever,
were at the rate of 0.47 per 1,000 population, whilst the rate for the principal zymotic
diseases which are not notifiable, namely, measles, whooping cough and diarrhcea,
was 2.5 per 1,000 population.
METROPOLITAN ASYLUMS BOARD.
Most of the cases of infectious disease removed to hospital were taken to the
hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board. The infectious diseases of which cases
are receivable into the Board's hospitals are small pox, scarlet fever, diphtheria and
enteric fever. The number of cases of these diseases removed was 1,122, giving
a percentage of 97.5, which is the highest recorded for any year. In 1906 the
percentage was 96. The percentages of removals for previous years are contained
in the report for 1905. Efficient isolation of cases of infectious disease in the homes
of the people in a densely crowded locality like Shoreditch is practically impossible.
It is, therefore, a matter for congratulation that the inhabitants of the Borough have
learnt to realise the value of, and the benefits to be derived from, the magnificent
system of hospital isolation which has been organised and is being carried out bv
the Metropolitan Asylums Board.