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
Fulham 1884
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Fulham]
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116
Guardians to the South Western Dirtrict Hospital at Stockwell.
From the number of deaths we may estimate that there were
about 380 persons attacked by the disease in this District last
year. When we consider the fact that there were only 125 cases
reported, it is not at all surprising that the disease is not more
effectually prevented from spreadingand that fresh outbreaks of the
complaint are constantly occurring. Scarlet fever will never be
at all effectually dealt with by Sanitary Authorities until a law be
passed making the notification of infectious diseases compulsory.
TABLE IX.
The following table shows the number of cases of scarlet fever that were reported in each Parish of the Fulham District during each of the twelve months of the year 1884, also the numbers of cases that were treated at Hospitals and the numbers that were treated at the homes of the patients.
| Parish of Hammersmith. | Parish of Fulham. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month. | Treated at Hospital. | Treated at Home. | Total. | Treated at Hospital. | Treated at Home. | Total. | Grand Total. |
| Junuary | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 15 |
| February | 5 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 17 |
| March | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| April | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 12 |
| May | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 12 | |
| Jane | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 11 |
| July | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| August | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8 | |
| September | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 9 | |
| October | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 14 |
| November | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 8 | |
| December | 4 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| To Jan. 3, 1885 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 28 | 29 | 57 | 29 | 39 | 68 | 125 |
The above table shows that the greater number of cases occurred
in the first half of the year, there being 69 cases in the
first six months of the year and 56 in the second This is the
reverse of what generally occurs in this disease. Scarlet Fever is
generally epidemic in London in the latter half of the year and
more particularly prevalent in the autumn months.
The following table shows the number of cases of scarlet
fever reported in each Parish of the Fulham District during the
year 1884, the date when each case was reported, the localities
where they occurred, the number of cases in each street and the
number of infected houses.