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

Woolwich 1895

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]

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Table: The following table will show the prevalence of the principal Zymotic diseases during the past six years.

The following table will show the prevalence of the principal Zymotic diseases during the past six years.

189018911892189318941895
Scarlet Fever10080338259215187
Diphtheria10817244967
Typhoid Fever161118251450
Small Pox——26l151

Table: And on reference to the following returns of the Metropolitan Asylums Board we get the notifications received by that Board for the corresponding six years from the whole of London.

And on reference to the following returns of the Metropolitan Asylums Board we get the notifications received by that Board for the corresponding six years from the whole of London.

1890189I1892!89318941895
Scarlet Fever153301139827095369011065519757
Diphtheria587059077781130261844010772
Typhoid Eever287733722465366333603506
Small Pox6011442328131 192979

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Much attention has of late years been given to the increased incidence
of Diphtheria in London, and many causes for the same have been
assigned. It is to be hoped that the report which is being prepared for
the School Board for London will show clearly whether the suggestion
that school attendance has anything to do with the spread of the disease
is true or not.
As I pointed out last year, it was now clearly understood that
the cause of the disease was a small organism which gained access to
the mucous membrane of the throat, and in its growth gave rise to a
poison which became absorbed into the system ; the so-called anti-toxic
serum treatment of the disease depends upon the introduction into the
system of an antidote to this poison. The statistics of the Metropolitan
Asylums Board upon this subject have not yet been published, but
from the evidence which can be obtained there appears to be no
doubt that in this remedy—which was discovered by Dr. Behring,
of Berlin—we have a powerful remedy, the good effects of which being
most manifest the earlier it is used in the course of the disease.