Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Fulham]
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There were 1373 cases in girls and 1309 in boys. Regarding the ages of the children affected the following summary shows that those under five years of age were the chief sufferers :
0 to 1 | 1 to 2 | 2 to 3 | 3 to 4 | 4 to 5 | 5 to 10 | 10 to 15 | 15 to 20 | 20 to 35 | 35 to 45 | 45 to 55 | 65 to up | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
132 | 279 | 285 | 326 | 439 | 1121 | 67 | 8 | 22 | 1 | 2 | — | 2682 |
The case mortality, that is to say the percentage
of cases which proved fatal, was 0.97, but the case
mortality at the various ages under five years was:—
Under 1 year 3.78
1 to 2 years 3.22
2 to 3 years 1.05
3 to 4 years 0.92
4 to 5 years0.91
Children were admitted to the special infectious
diseases hospitals of the London County Council, 355
cases being admitted. No difficulty was experienced in
obtaining admission to hospitals for these patients,
although at the height of the epidemic it was necessary to
send patients to the more remote hospitals. Under a
special arrangement between the Borough Council and
the Fulham District Nursing Association, 210 cases
were attended by the District Nurses, who made 2,086
visits to the homes of these patients.
As in former years it was impossible for the
Council's staff to cope with the home visiting of the
patients at the height of the epidemic and the Public
Health Committee authorised the employment of two
additional Health Visitors, one from 9th February to
24th May and the other from 8th April to 10th May.
Convalescent Measles Serum was employed in the
case of 17 contacts as a preventive measure with successful
results. No attack occurred in 13 of the cases and
the attack which occurred in the others was very mild.
Enteric Fever.
Eleven cases were notified during the year compared
with three last year and one death occurred.