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 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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The distribution of the cases certified, and deaths amongst males and females in the Borough and the eight wards thereof during 1907 is shown in the subjoined table: —
| Wards. | ENTERIC FEVER. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notifications. | Fatal Cases. | |||||
| Male. | Female. | Total. | Male. | Female. | Total. | |
| Moorfields | 2 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. |
| Church | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | .. | 2 |
| Hoxton | 3 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Wenlock | 3 | 4 | 7 | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Whitmore | 32 | 40 | 72 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Kingsland | .. | 3 | 3 | .. | .. | .. |
| Haggerston | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| Acton | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| Total for Borough | 45 | 56 | 101 | 6 | 5 | 11 |
The cases are grouped according to ages in Table III. (Appendix). Of
the cases certified, 98, or 97 per cent., were removed to hospital for treatment.
As may be gathered from the above table the disease was most prevalent
in Whitmore Ward, chiefly in Ware Street, Louisa Street, Nancy Street,
Watson's Place, Reeves' Place, and Wilmer Gardens, which are occupied by
some of the poorest persons in the Borough. A large proportion of the cases
certified were infected from previous cases in the Borough. Inquiry failed to
reveal any common vehicle of infection such as water,, milk, shellfish, ice cream,
or fried fish. In a few instances the patients were said to have eaten mussels
about the time they were infected. There was nothing to indicate that drainage,
and sanitary arrangements generally, were connected with the prevalence
of the disease. The chief factor undoubtedly appeared to be personal infection.