London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
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]
This page requires JavaScript
The death-rate per 1,000 births was 3.7 compared
with 11.1 in 1916. The death rate was the lowest recorded
with the exception of 1911.
In 1913 an Order was issued by the Local Government
Board giving permission to the Asylums Board to admit to their
hospitals children under 14 suffering from whooping-cough, on
the recommendation of the Medical Officer of Health. Mo
cases were admitted during the year.
Instructions printed on cards are left at houses
where cases are notified by school teachers. The instructions
were printed in the Annual Report for 1910.
SCARLET FEVER.
30. There were 145 cases of scarlet fever notified
(deducting two cases of mistaken diagnosis), equivalent to a
rate of 0.99 per 1,000 population, compared with 1.69 in 1916.
This is the lowest rate recorded.
31. The following table shows the case-rates of scarlet fever in the Borough and each Registration District during the past fifteen years, compared with London:-
Average
| 1901 -5 | 1906 -10 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borough | 3.15 | 5.90 | 4.09 | 3.80 | 4.80 | 5.46 | 4.31 | 1.69 | 0.99 |
| Woolwich Parish | 2.99 | 5.66 | 2.89 | 2.41 | 5.44 | 6.11 | 4.48 | 1.94 | 1.19 |
| Plumstead.West | 3.77 | 4.96 | 4.68 | 5.45 | 4'0 | 1.30 | 0.84 | ||
| 3.24 | 6.33 | ||||||||
| East | 7.51 | 4.88 | 5.11 | 4.18 | 6.55 | 1.98 | 0.74 | ||
| Eltham Parish | 3.21 | 4.94 | 2.09 | 2.64 | 4.36 | 7.45 | 3.85 | 1.67 | 1.38 |
| London County | 3.57 | 4.22 | 2.32 | 1.76 | 3.89 | 5.53 | 3.94 | 2.06 | 1.52 |
32. Table III gives the age distribution, the number in
each parish and the number removed to hospital. Eltham was
most affected.
33. Deaths. There was one death, giving a death.rate of
0.01 per cent compared with 0.03 in 1916, 0.06 in 1915, 0.08
in the five years 1908-12, and 0.19 in the ten years 1891-1900.
The death-rate in Lordon was 0.02 compared with 0.03 in 1916.
The case mortality (or deaths per cent of notifications) was
13