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
Brentford 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Brentford]
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6
Isolation Hospital. There were 26 cases of Diphtheria notified and
as there were only two deaths I am led to believe that parents now
recognize how necessary it is to send at once for a doctor in all cases
of sore throat so that Antitoxin may be used early, and I may here
mention that the Council still supply medical men with Antitoxin
free for use in the town.
The number of deaths from Diarrhoea is too large, although less
than usual, and I would again impress upon parents that they can-
not be too particular in the food they give their infants. The milk should be boiled as soon as it arrives, the bottle cleansed directly after use and kept in cold water till it is required, and, above all, don't let babies sit at your table, which is so common a practice.
| 1899 | 1900 | 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1908 | Average for 10 years. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of births | 497 | 500 | 516 | 532 | 536 | 545 | 530 | 476 | 519 | 464 | 511.5 |
| Birth rate per 1000 | 32.8 | 32.6 | 33.9 | 34.7 | 34.8 | 34.8 | 33.6 | 29.9 | 32.3 | 28.3 | 32.8 |
| Deaths from all causes | 297 | 244 | 262 | 237 | 200 | 252 | 208 | 216 | 234 | 174 | 232.4 |
| Death rate per 1000 | 19.6 | 15.9 | 17.2 | 15.4 | 12.9 | 16.1 | 13.1 | 13.5 | 13.9 | 10.7 | 14.8 |
| Deaths from Small Pox | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ,, Measles | 3 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 6.7 |
| „ Scarlet Fever | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2.1 |
| ,, Whooping Cough | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 3.5 |
| „ Diphtheria | 2 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 5.6 |
| ,, Typhus Fever | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ,, Enteric Fever | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.4 |
| „ Diarrhœa | 53 | 23 | 38 | 22 | 13 | 34 | 16 | 32 | 1 | 17 | 24.9 |
| „ 8 Zymotic diseases | 67 | 42 | 57 | 35 | 24 | 70 | 34 | 59 | 33 | 21 | 44.2 |
| Death rate of Zymotic diseases | 4.4 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 4.4 | 2.1 | 3.7 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 2.7 |
PHTHISIS.
Last year I drew your attention to the large number of deaths
caused by pulmonary tuberculosis and other tuberculous diseases,
which numbered 45. This year the number of deaths inside and
outside the district has been reduced to 26, and I feel sure it will be
further reduced if proper care is taken to prevent the spread of the
disease.
I will again repeat the simple measures which should be taken
in all cases.