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 1903
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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One case, which proved fatal, was attended in the confinement
by a midwife, and one by a medical man.
77. Influenza, Bronchitis and Pneumonia. — Influenza
caused 27 deaths compared with 62, 22 and 60 in the three preceding
years. Bronchitis and Pneumonia caused 258 deaths,
compared with 407, 245 and 299 in the three preceding years.
Table VIII. shows that the highest number of deaths from
Bronchitis and Pneumonia was reached in the first week of
February and the third week of April. The latter succeeded a
week having a mean temperature of 39.'5, making it with one
exception the coldest week of the first half of the year.
Tuberculosis.
78. There were 237 deaths from tuberculous disease, giving
a death rate of 1.92, compared with 2.29 and 1.86 in the two
preceding years.
The following table gives the number of deaths from each of the various forms of tuberculosis in the past three years, and for comparison the deaths from simple meningitis:—
| 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tubercular meningitis | 17 | 20 | 28 |
| Simple meningitis | 26 | 19 | 24 |
| Tuberculosis-intestines & peritoneum | 37 | 29 | 14 |
| Tuberculosis—other forms | 24 | ||
| Phthisis | 215 | 183 | 171 |
It thus appears that while phthisis has much diminished in
the past three years other forms of tuberculosis, especially
tubercular meningitis have somewhat increased. This is an
unexpected result, and may perhaps be only apparent; the
diagnosis between simple and tubercular meningitis being very
D