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
Walthamstow 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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43
It would be too much to expect that mothers should in all cases be
able to diagnose Scarlet Fever when attacking their children, but it
would seem a necessary part of their duty, arising from parental, instinct
to isolate and keep in bed those who show feverishness with a rash
until medical advice could be obtained.
Were this done much suffering would be avoided, lives could be
saved, and the community put to much less expenditure than at present.
The number of cases removed to hospital from each Ward was as follows:—
| St. James St. | High St. | Hoe St. | Wood St. | Northern. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 78 | 55 | 83 | 26 | . 168 |
| and for previous years— | |||||
| 1907 | 83 | 86 | 61 | 83 | 118 |
| 1906 | 57 | 65 | 50 | 73 | 68 |
| 1905 | 50 | 70 | 44 | 31 | 62 |
| 1904 | 50 | 36 | 50 | 37 | 30 |
| 1903 | 59 | 63 | 53 | 67 | 45 |
| Per cen. removed— | |||||
| 1905 | 33 | 31 | 33 | 38 | 33 |
| 1906 | 41.6 | 37.5 | 38.4 | 42.2 | 34.7 |
| 1907 | 56 | 58 | 38 | 67 | 47 |
| 1908 | 68.4 | 78.5 | 63 | 42.5 | 65 |
DIPHTHERIA MEMBRANOUS CROUP.
Two hundred and twenty-three cases of Diphtheria, including Membranous
Croup, were notified during the year, compared with 251 in
907.
The sickness rate was 1.6 and the death-rate T5 per 1,000 for the
year—rates which mark a considerable improvement on previous years.
One hundred and seventy-two of the cases (or 77 per cent, of the
total) were removed to hospital, the remaining 51 were nursed at home,
properly isolated and kept under observation,