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 1917
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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27. The following table gives the number of deaths and death-rates from measles for the past four years, and four preceding quinquennia in each parish and the death-rate in London:-
| Year | Woolwich | Plumsoead | Eltham | The Borough | London | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aver. No. | Rate | Aver. No. | Rate | Aver. No. | Rate | Aver. No. | Rate | Rate | |
| 1891-5 | 20 | 0.49 | 29 | Not recorded | 49 | 0.51 | 0.59 | ||
| 1896-1900 | 34 | 0.81 | 36 | 0.57 | Not recorded | 70 | 0.67 | 0.57 | |
| 1901-5 | 9 | 0.22 | 15 | 0.22 | 1 | 0.13 | 26 | 0.21 | 0.44 |
| 1906-10 | 17 | 0.43 | 18 | 0.23 | 3 | 0.20 | 37 | 0.30 | 0.40 |
| 1911-15 | 12 | 0.30 | 14 | 0.19 | 2 | 0.13 | 27 | 0.21 | 0.42 |
| 1916 | 8 | 0.24 | 15 | 0.19 | 23 | 0.17 | 0.19 | ||
| 1917 | 13 | 0.39 | 11 | 0.16 | 7 | 0.23 | 31 | 0.21 | 0.48 |
The actual reduction in measles mortality is not quite
so large as appears from the above table, owing to the fact that
the falling birth rate has caused a diminution in the number of
children living under five years,
The following tabic giving the deaths and death-rate per 1,0^0 births shows the reduction more accurately:-
| No. | Rate. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1891-95 (average) | 39 | 14.7 |
| 1896-1900 ,, | 70 | 20.9 |
| 1901-05 ,, | 26 | 7.2 |
| 1906-10 ,, | 37 | 11.8 |
| 1911-15 ,, | 27 | 9.8 |
| 1916 ,, | 23 | 7.5 |
| 1917 ,, | 31 | 11.5 |
It appears from these tables that whereas from 18911900
Woolwich had a somewhat higher measles' mortality than
London, since that date the measles death-rate has greatly diminished,
and diminished much more Woolwich than in London.
28. To prevent the spread of measles in school, the
Medical Officer of the London County Council continued to close,
or exclude unprotected children from classes on the occurrence
of one or more cases. The period of exclusion or closure was
usually for a few days orJv, in some cases for two weeks.
Notification. By Order of the Local Government Board
made under S.130,P.K.A., 1875, Measles and German Measles were
made compulsorily notifiable from January 1st. 1916, (see
Council's Minutes, December 22nd- page 93).
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