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
Lambeth 1884
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth]
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33
SCARLET FEVER.
The number of deaths from Scarlet Fever in the Parish ot
Lambeth was 104; of these 44 were strangers, 43 of whom died
in the Stockwell Fever Hospital, and one in St. Thomas's Hospital.
Deducting these the deaths of parishioners number 60 against
86 in 1883, and 96 in 1882.
The following Table shows the number of cases in each district,
both those sent to Hospital and those treated at home.
An outbreak of Scarlet Fever occurred at the hospital for
lying-in women, York Road, and was exterminated with no little
difficulty.
The first cases were reported upon February 16th, when five
women and 3 infants were removed to the Stockwell Fever
Hospital.
On March 14th the disease again appeared, also upon April
25th, May 1st, and lastly upon June 12th.
After each outbreak the wards were disinfected by the Hospital
Authorities and the bedding stoved. I am inclined to believe
that the frequent re appearance of the disease was due to the
insufficiency of the stoving. The bedding was subjected to the
dry-heat process which 1 have shown in the articles upon that
subject to be unreliable.
The following table shows the number of Small Pox cases removed to the Hospitals of the Asylums Board during the last eight years, and the proportion of paupers to the whole number admitted:—
| 1877 | 26 Paupers | 577 Non-Paupers |
| 1878 | 20 „ | 277 „ |
| 1879 | 1 „ | 277 „ |
| 1880 | 1 „ | 77 „ |
| 1881 | 14 „ | 80 „ |
| 1882 | 24 „ | 440 „ |
| 1883 | 0 „ | 109 „ |
| 1884 | 3 „ | 207 „ |
| Making a total during the eight years of 1,895, of which 89 were paupers, or, | ||
| Non-paupers | 95.3 percent. | |
| Paupers | 47 „ | |