Dr. G.S. Buchanan's report to the Local Government Board upon epidemic diphtheria in the borough of Tunbridge Wells / [G.S. Buchanan].

  • Buchanan, George Seaton, Sir, 1869-1936.
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. G.S. Buchanan's report to the Local Government Board upon epidemic diphtheria in the borough of Tunbridge Wells / [G.S. Buchanan]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    census, the proportion of children under five (the quinquennial age-period at which the fatality from diphtheria is greatest) was in England and Wales 122, in Kent 120, and in the borough of Tunbridge Wells only 98. Similarly, from 1892 to 1896 the average of the annual birthrates in the borough per 1,000 of population has been 21*6, in contrast with an average rate of 30*2 in England and Wales and of 26*8 in Kent. In 1898, I learnt, a total of 30 deaths from diphtheria had occurred within the borough between January 1st and the end of September. For these nine months the diphtheria death rate, per 10,000 living at all ages at the 1891 census, had thus been 10*8. During the same period, the total number of persons known to the Medical Officer of Health as having been attacked by diphtheria was 251. All these cases he had heard of by means of notification returns. The 251 cases had occurred in a total of 167 dwellings. The number of cases notified week by week is shown in table B ; the distribu¬ tion of cases in respect of age and fatal result in table C. Table B. Week ending Number of Cases of Diphtheria notified to Medical Officer of Health. Number of Dwellings notified as newly- invaded by Diphtheria each week. Week ending Number of Cases of Diphtheria notified to Medical Officer of Health. Number of Dwellings notified as newly invaded by Diphtheria each week. January 5 4 1 June 8 4 4 12 2 1 15 3 2 19 • t • ... 22 2 o 26 • • • • • • 29 2 2 February 2 1 1 July 6 2 o fW 9 8 4 13 4 4 16 8 6 20 2 2 23 35 22 27 11 6 March 2 17 10 August 3 9 6 9 10 5 10 5 5 16 6 4 17 9 4 23 5 4 24 6 3 30 12 6 31 6 5 April 6 11 6 September 7 4 4 13 9 5 14 1 1 20 3 2 21 3 2 27 8 8 28 1 1 May 4 4 3 11 9 6 Whole period 251 167 18 8 4 January 1 to end 25 10 8 of September. June 1 7 6 Table C. Ages. Age 0—5. 5—15. 15—25. 25 and upwards. not ascer¬ tained. Total. Number of cases notified between January 1 and end of September, 1898. 64 133 23 24 7 251 Of which were fatal . 12 18 ... ... ... 30 Having regard to the population of Tunbridge Wells and to its previous diphtheria records, it may be concluded from the figures of table B that, during the. whole of eight months, from February to the end of September, diphtheria in the borough assumed epidemic proportions. At the beginning of the epidemic, in the latter three weeks of February and in the early days of March, there was an outbreak in which some 78 cases of diphtheria were notified, and some 47 dwellings invaded by the disease.