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 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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44
The number of cases in Shoreditch was less than in 1935, in which year there
were 306 cases with an attack rate of 3.46.
The following table gives particulars regarding scarlet fever for Shoreditch,
London, and England and Wales for a period of years:—
Scarlet Fever.
| Year | Shoreditch. | London | England & Wales | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases notified | Case rate | Deaths | Death rate | Case rate | Death rate | Case rate | Death rate | |
| 1920 | 513 | 5 | 5.0 | 0.05 | 3.19 | 0.04 | ||
| 1921 | 917 | 7 | 7.3 | 0.06 | 3.64 | 0.03 | ||
| 1922 | 337 | 6 | 3.8 | 0.07 | 2.85 | 0.04 | ||
| 1923 | 391 | 6 | 2.2 | 0.02 | 2.24 | 0.03 | ||
| 1924 | 366 | 2 | 2.5 | 0.02 | 2.16 | 0.02 | ||
| 1925 | 485 | 5 | 2.7 | 0.03 | 2.36 | 0.03 | ||
| 1926 | 432 | 4 | 2.7 | 0.02 | 2.10 | 0.02 | ||
| 1927 | 383 | 3 | 2.9 | 0.01 | 2.16 | 0.02 | ||
| 1928 | 457 | 3 | 3.4 | 0.02 | 2.61 | 0.02 | ||
| 1929 | 314 | 3 | 3.6 | 0.02 | 3.05 | 0.02 | ||
| 1930 | 384 | 1 | 3.8 | 0.02 | 2.76 | 0.02 | ||
| 1931 | 263 | 0 | 2.8 | 0.02 | 2.05 | 0.01 | ||
| 1932 | 419 | 6 | 3.3 | 0.02 | 2.12 | 0.01 | ||
| 1933 | 567 | 0 | 5.1 | 0.02 | 3.21 | 0.02 | ||
| 1934 | 306 | 2 | 2.6 | 0.01 | 3.76 | 0.02 | ||
| 1935 | 364 | 2 | 4.3 | 0.02 | 2.96 | 0.01 | ||
| 1936 | 256 | 0 | 2.6 | 0.01 | 2.53 | 0.01 | ||
The disease continued to be of the mild type which is now prevalent in this
country. This mildness has changed the whole problem of scarlet fever. In past
years it was a killing disease, comparable in severity with diphtheria, and treatment
in hospital was therefore very desirable. Yet the disease still tends to produce
lasting effects as a result of complications—though these, fortunately, have been
reduced by the adoption of serum treatment in suitable cases. From the administrative
point of view the problem of scarlet fever is now largely one of correct diagnosis
and the search for missed cases.
The effect of seasonal incidence was not marked during the year. There was a
slight increase in the incidence of the disease during the fourth quarter.
During the year all the notified cases except 4 were removed to hospital. This
high hospitalization rate seems worthy of special mention.
Return cases.— Returned cases are defined as "cases occurring in the same
house or elsewhere within a period of not less than twenty-four hours, or not more
than twenty-eight days after return or release from isolation." During the year
only 1 case was considered to come in this category.