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 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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33. The following table gives the number of deaths and death rates from Measles for the past three years, and three preceding quinquennia, in each parish (as far as known), and the death rate in London:—
| Year. | Woolwich. | Plumstead | Eltham. | The Borough. | London. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Bate. | No. | Rate. | No. | Rate. | No. | Rate. | Rate. | |
| 1891-5 (average) | 20 | 0.49 | 29 | 0.51 | Not recorded | 49 | 0.51 | 0.59 | |
| 1896.1900 (average) | 84 | 0.81 | 36 | 0.57 | Not recorded | 70 | 0.67 | 0.57 | |
| 1901.1905 (average) | 9 | 0.22 | 15 | 0.22 | 1 | 013 | 26 | 0.21 | 0.44 |
| 1906 | 7 | 0.18 | 21 | 0.28 | .. | 28 | 0.24 | 0.40 | |
| 1907 | 35 | 0.87 | 28 | 0.37 | 7 | 0 55 | 70 | 0.54 | 0.38 |
| 1908 | 5 | 0.13 | 2 | 0.03 | 3 | 0.23 | 10 | 0.08 | 0.31 |
34. Last year Measles was at an ebb-tide in the Borough.
Not only was the number of cases much below the average,
but, as often occurs, the mortality of the disease was exceptionally
low. The schools principally affected were those at
Eltham, the Slade, Bostall Lane, and Vicarage Road, in the
beginning of the year; and Wood Street and St. Thomas's in
the autumn. Dr. Kerr closed, or excluded unprotected children
from, several classes. In many cases this was done immediately
on the occurrence of one case. The period of
exclusion or closure was usually for a few days only, not
exceeding one week.
Whooping-cough.
35. There were 32 deaths from Whooping-cough, compared
with 21 and 37 in the two preceding years. No doubt some
deaths of young children attributed to Bronchitis and Pneumonia
were really due to this cause. The death-rate was 0.25,
compared with 0.20 in the County of London.