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 1912
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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22
In my annual report for 1911, I directed attention to the small number of
cases for that year as compared with the numbers for previous years. The number
for 1912 is still smaller, and a glance at the above table will show how greatly enteric
fever has decreased in the Borough during recent years. The attack-rate was a
little over 0.1 per 1,000 population as compared with 0.2 in 1911, 0.4 in 1910,
0.4 in 1909, 0.8 in 1908, 0.3 in 1907, 0.3 in 1906, 0.3 in 1905, 0.4 in 1904 and 0.8
in 1903. The deaths numbered 4, the death-rate being 0.03 per 1,000 population
as compared with 0.00 for 1911, 0.07 for 1910, 0.05 for 1909, 0.09 for 1908, 0.05
for 1907, 0-03 for 1906, 0.01 for 1905, 0.07 for 1904, 0.11 for 1903 and 0.20 for 1902.
The rate although higher than for last year was, however, markedly below the average.
The case-mortality was at the grate of 28.5 per cent. of the cases certified (33 per
cent, deducting the cases not regarded as having been enteric fever) as compared
with 4.5 in 1911, 16 in 1910 and 12.2 in 1909. The case mortality for the 19 years
ending 1911 averaged 14.0 per cent, of the cases certified.
The distribution of the cases certified and deaths amongst males and females in the Borough and its eight wards during 1912 are shown in the subjoined table :—
| Wards. | ENTERIC FEVER. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notifications. | Fatal Cases. | |||||
| Male. | Female. | Total. | Male. | Female. | Total. | |
| Moorfields | ||||||
| Church | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | |
| Hoxton | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Wenlock | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Whitmore | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Kingsland | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Haggerston | ||||||
| Acton | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Totals for Borough | 7 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
The cases are grouped according to ages in Table II. (Appendix).
All the cases except one, which terminated fatally at home, were removed to
hospital. In 4 cases there was no history obtained which threw any light upon
the source of infection, in 2 the patients were away at Southend about the time
they might have been infected. Shellfish had been eaten in 2 instances. In 2
instances the patients were new arrivals in the Borough and were ailing when they
came to Shoreditch.