Report by the Medical Officer on the prevalence of diphtheria in London and elsewhere : and its alleged connection with the elementary schools.

  • Smith, William Robert.
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report by the Medical Officer on the prevalence of diphtheria in London and elsewhere : and its alleged connection with the elementary schools. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    TABLE I. Showing the death-rate per million of the population from Diphtheria in England and Wales since 1855 and in London since 1859 ;— Year. England and W ALES. Deatl) Kates per Million. London. Death Rates per Million. Yeah. England and Walks. Death Rates per Million London. Death Rates per Million. 1855 20 1876 129 109 1856 .32 1877 111 88 \^bl 82 — 1878 140 155 1858 339 187!» 120 155 1859 517 284 1880 109 144 I860 261 174 1881 121 172 1861 225 239 1882 152 222 1862 241 255 18R3 158 244 1863 315 275 1884 186 241 1864 261 207 1885 164 227 1865 196 144 1886 149 212 1866 140 152 1887 160 235 1867 120 145 1888 171 319 1868 137 158 1889 189 391 1869 117 107 1890 179 331 1870 120 104 1891 173 340 1871 111 105 1892 ■ 222 462 1872 93 80 1893 318 760 1873 108 95 1894 292 625 1874 150 122 1895 253 529 1875 142 167 Note.—The Infectious Diseases (Notification) Act came into operation in London in October 1889. From the above table it will be seen that the deaths rose gradually during the years 1855, 1856, 1857, and then with a bound in the years 1858 and 1859 ; but during these latter years it should be noted that Scarlet Fever was prevalent, and there may have been some inaccuracies in diagnosis. In 1860 the mortality fell nearly one-half, and since, 1881 it will be seen there has been a steady and increasing prevalence of Diphtheria in London, whereas the all England rate does not show this increase in the same marked degree. The following table gives comparatively the mortality per million of the population for several decades in England and Wales and in the Metropolis, together with that fi-om 1891-95; the enormous increase in the London area during the periods 1881-90 and 1891-95 is most noticeable. TABLE li. Mortality per million of the population from Diphtheria in England and Wales and in London:— England and Wales. Death-rate per Million. London. Death-rate per Million. 1861-70 185 176 1871-80 121 122 1881-90 163 260 1891-95 252 543 Diphtheria is more prevalent in temperate and cold regions than in the tropics, and in London both the mortality and the prevalence are greatest during the quarter ending December, and lowest in the quarter ending June. Hirsch has shown that the same seasonal relationship exists in Sweden, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Vienna, and Philadelphia. The London mortality is well shown by the following curve for the thirty years 1861-90, published in the Registrar General's Annual Summary for 1890 :—