Dr. Theodore Thomson's report to the Local Government Board on epidemic measles in the borough of Lancaster.

  • Thomson, Theodore.
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. Theodore Thomson's report to the Local Government Board on epidemic measles in the borough of Lancaster. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    If 33,000 be accepted as representing the mean population of Lancaster during the eight years, 1889-96, it appears that the death rate annually from measles per 1,000 persons living during this period was 0‘52. This is in excess of the average annual death rate from the same cause in England as a whole during the live years, 1891-95, which was 0'41 per 1,000 persons living. The annual death rate from measles during the same live years in the 33 large towns was 0*60 per 1,000 persons living ; while in the 67 other large towns it was 0*44 per 1,000 persons living during the three years, 1894-96 * From the figures in the table it appears also that the yearly rate of attack by measles in Lancaster during the eight years, 1889-96, was nearly 17 per 1,000 persons living. The epidemic of measles with which this Report has concern may be regarded as having commenced in December, 1896. Durmg the month of November of that year no case is known to have occurred in Lancaster, and during the previous ten months there had been not more than 38 known cases of measles, scattered irregularly over that period. On December 5th, a child was notified to the Authority as attacked by measles, and this was followed by the notification of four further cases within a fortnight. Several more cases were notified to the Authority towards the end of December, after which the disease increased with rapidity. ' The following figures show the cases of measles that came to the knowledge of the Sanitary Authority from December 5th, 1896, to July 15th, 1897. During December, 1896, they are set out according to the dates on which they were made known to the Authority ; after that month they are arranged in weekly periods :— 1 1 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 14 72 70 107 112 138 116 123 61 54 40 33 23 15 7 16 32 19 20 22 7 5 19 3 15 8 6 8 Total, December 5th, 1896—July 15th, 1897 ... 1,185 It appears from these figures that after occurrence of a score of eases in Decejubei, of which the last four days of the month show more than half, there * No statistics are available as to these 67 to-wns prior to 1894. On December 5, 1896 16 99 » 17 99 „ 18 99 „ 24 99 ?? „ 28 99 ?? „ 29 99 5* „ 30 9*' 99 „ 31 99 ring the week ending January .7, 1897 99 99 99 14 99 99 99 99 21 99 99 99 99 28 99 99 99 February 4 99 99 99 99 11 99 99 99 99 18 99 99 99 99 25 99 99 99 March 4 99 99 . 99 99 11 '9 •9 99 99 18 99 95 99 ^9 99 r->*J 99 99 99 April 1 99 99 99 99 8 99 99 • • 15 99 99 99 22 99 9» 99 99 29 99 99 99 May 6 99 99 99 99 13 99 99 99 99 20 99 99 99 99 27 99 99 99 June 3 99 99 ^9 99 10 99 99 99 99 17 99 99 9* 99 24 ^9 99 99 July 1 99 99 99 99 8 99 99 99 99 15 99 22502705668