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
Lewisham 1857
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham District]
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63
Gas refuse running into Pool stream, at Lower Sydenham, from gas works: before
reported as a serious source of contamination of the Ravensbourne river.
Meteorological tables for the month are appended as usual.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
| Week ending. | Weight of air. Barometer corrected. Mean inches. | Temperature of Air. Thermometer. | Prevailing winds. | Rainy days. | Amount of rain in inches. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest. | Lowest. | Mean of daily readings. | |||||
| Jan. 3. | 29.746 | 52° 7 | 18° 5 | 40°6 | W. S. W. | 3 | 0.23 |
| 10. | 29.799 | 49 2 | 28 1 | 36 8 | N. E.&S.W. | 6 | 1.20 |
| 17. | 29.636 | 45 0 | 26 0 | 36 5 | Variable | 3 | 0.39 |
| 24. | 29.547 | 49 8 | 28 4 | 36 1 | W. | 5 | 0.41 |
I have the honour to be, Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
F. E. WILKINSON,
Medical Officer of Health.
Sydenham, January, 1857.
FEBRUARY.
| DISTRICTS. | Males. | BIRTHS. Females. | Total. | Males. | DEATHS Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackheath | 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Lewisham | 12 | 11 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Union Workhouse | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| St. George's Infant Poor-house | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Penge | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| N. S. Industrial School . | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sydenham | 7 | 17 | 24 | 9 | 5 | 14 |
| Total | 24 | 37 | 61 | 16 | 17 | 33 |
Gentlemen,
The deaths registered during the four weeks ending on the 21st February, 1857, were
33. The mortality for the corresponding month of last year amounted to 23 only. This
difference is caused by the increased comparative mortality for the month in Sydenham,
14 deaths having taken place against 3 in 1856 (February), the principal causes being
diseases of the breathing organs; of these 11 persons have died from inflammation and
other diseases of the lungs, 3 of them being from pulmonary consumption.
One death is registered from typhus fever, in West Kent Park, Sydenham. The
absence of proper drainage in this locality requires prompt attention.
The most favourable symptom of the health of the district is, however, the absence of
deaths from preventible causes. With the above exception, no death has occurred from
zymotic disease, and very little disorder of the kind exists throughout the district.
The following list of localities demanding attention for their sanitary welfare, I beg to
recommend to your attention:—
Blackheath.—The dirty state of Loat's Pits is reported by Mr. Burroughs, Registrar
of the district, and requires attention. A horse infirmary is erected in this neighbourhood,
close to the backs of some of the houses, and is in my opinion very objectionable,
especially as it stands some feet above the adjoining houses, and has no drainage.