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 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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33
Diphtheria.
The cases certified numbered 273, of which 45 or 16 5 per cent were
subsequently not regarded as being diphtheria. The number of cases
during the year was thus 228, which gives an attack rate of 2'3 per 1,000
inhabitants. In 1930 the number of cases was 326 and the attack rate 3 3.
The age seasonal and Ward distribution of the cases are included in the
table on page 26.
There were 7 fatal cases—2 males and 5 females. These occurred in
the following age groups : —
Aged 1-2 years ... ... ... 1
Aged 2-5 years ... ... ... 3
Aged 5-10 years ... ... ... 2
Aged 10-15 years ... ... ... 1
The number of cases, the deaths amongst males and females and the attack, death and mortality rates in the Borough, its Wards and in London are given in the subjoined table : —
| Ward. | No. of cases. | Fatal Cases. | Rates per 1,000 Population. | Case Mortality. Deaths per 100 cases. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | Total. | M. | F. | Total. | ||||
| Attack | Death | ||||||||
| Moorfields ... | 3 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 3.0 | 0.25 | 8.5 | |
| Church | 19 | 22 | 41 | 2.5 | |||||
| Hoxton | 23 | 23 | 46 | 2.9 | |||||
| Wenlock | 17 | 29 | 46 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2.9 | 0.25 | 8.7 |
| Whitmore ... | 17 | 10 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 1.8 | 0.07 | 3.7 | |
| Kingsland ... | 10 | 8 | 18 | 1.9 | ... | ||||
| Hag-gerston... | 8 | 19 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 2.7 | 0.10 | 3.7 | |
| Acton | 6 | 5 | 11 | 1.0 | ... | ||||
| Total | 103 | 125 | 228 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2-3 | 0.07 | 3.1 |
| London | ... | 8,488 | ... | ... | 251 | 1-94 | 0-06 | 2-96 | |
The death rates from diphtheria in Shoreditch and other areas are compared
in the table on page 34 of this Report. Diphtheria was both less
prevalent and of a less severe type in Shoreditch during 1931 than in the
preceding year. From the foregoing table it will be seen that it was, however,
slightly more prevalent and more severe in Shoreditch than in London
generally.