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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85
Willow Road and Scudder's Row.
The new houses erecting here should be connected with the sewer immediately.
Meteorological tables 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. 2. | W. S. W. | ||||||
| S. W. | |||||||
| S. W. | |||||||
| Variable. | |||||||
I have the honour to remain, Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
F. E. WILKINSON,
Medical Officer of Health.
Sydenham, 28th January, 1858.
FEBRUARY.
| DISTRICTS. | BIRTHS. | DEATHS. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| Blackheath | 4 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 11 | 13 |
| Lewisham | 7 | 8 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| Union Workhouse | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Sydenham | 11 | 15 | 26 | 8 | 4 | 12 |
| Penge | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 25 | 30 | 55 | 20 | 21 | 41 |
Gentlemen,
During the month ending Saturday, the 20th February, 1858, 55 births and 41 deaths
have been registered.
The mortality, therefore, during this space of time has considerably exceeded the
average.
This increased mortality is to be attributed to the great inclemency of the weather,
which has probably mainly caused the death of 14 aged people.
Thus 2 have died between 56 and 60, 2 between 60 and 70, 9 between 70 and 80, and
1 between 80 and 90 years of age.
Chest affections have been and are considerably on the increase. Thus diseases of the
respiratory organs have been fatal to 12 persons during the month.
Five deaths have taken place from preventable (epidemic) disease. The localities in
which these deaths have taken place are enumerated below, viz.:—
One fever, Regent Street, Lewisham.
One typhus, Union Workhouse, Lewisham.
One hooping cough, Poplar Place, Lewisham.
One scarlet fever, Wells Road, Sydenham.
One scarlet fever, Lower Sydenham.