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20 Medical Officer's Report.
The following are the mortality statistics for the Union Buildings area,
giving the average general death-rate, phthisis death-rate, and the zymotic
death-rate for the four years, 1896-1899, inclusive. I give also the corresponding
rates for the Holborn District, and for London as a whole.
This Board was not supplied with the details of deaths in the District
until the year 1896, so that I can only give the statistics for the four years
1896-1899 inclusive.
The population as enumerated by the London County Council in June,
1899, viz., 817, may, I think, be fairly taken as the average of the population
during the four years 1896-1899 inclusive, for although the population was
greater in the beginning of 1896, the greater part of that year and in 1897
it was less on account of the closing and demolition of parts of the Area.
General.
Death-rate.
Phthisis.
Death-rate.
Zymotic.
Death-rate.
Area 48.6* 7 .96* 6.12*
Holborn District 23.4 3.11 2.89
London 19.3 1.77 2.45
Per 1,000 persons.
* The true death rates of the Area are most probably greater than the above high figures,
because a large number of the inhabitants of that Area, when they are ill or infirm, go to
Hospitals, Infirmaries, Asylums, and Workhouses, and at death the address is often given
as Holbo'n, St. Andrew's, or some other inexact address, and these deaths therefore cannot
be included as of persons belonging to the Area.
The local inquiry was held at the Holborn Town Hall on the 15th and
16th March, 1900. At this inquiry the past and present District Poor Law
Medical Officers, Dr. Gabe and Dr. Gahagan, gave evidence of the large proportion
of sickness, especially phthisis or consumption, other respiratory
diseases and zymotic diseases, that had been prevalent amongst persons living
in the Area. Many other witnesses (including Dr. Hamer, Assistant Medical
Officer of Health to the London County Council, and myself) were also
examined and cross-examined.