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16
REPORT
on the
SANITARY CONDITION OF SAINT MARY, ISLINGTON,
FOR JUNE 1858.
No. XV.
The mortality of the residents in Islington, during the 5 weeks which
terminated on the 3rd of July, has been slightly in excess of the corrected
mean mortality of the last two years. Two hundred and twenty-seven deaths
have been registered, but this number includes 14 deaths from violent causes,
and altogether 17, respecting which Inquests have been held, in the months of
March, April and May. It is the custom to register these deaths at the close
of each quarter. The excessively hot weather which distinguished the first
half of the month has not been without an influence upon the public health, an
influence which may be seen both in the registered mortality and in the
sickness which has been noticed to prevail amongst the poor. Sixty-four
deaths from zymotic diseases were registered; in the corresponding weeks of
1856 and 1857 they amounted to 47 and 41 respectively. It will appear from
Table 1 hat the following are the principal diseases which contributed to this
high number, viz.:—hooping cough, 16 deaths; diarrhcea, 14; fever, 7;
puerperal (or child-bed) fever, 4 ; and diphtheria, 9. As respects hoopingcough,
it is to be remarked that although the mortality has been above the
average, it rapidly declined as the hot weather advanced. Summer diarrhoea
has made its attack upon our population (and as usual especially upon our
infant population) ealrie even than it did last year. I have resumed the table
which I furnished in my monthly reports last summer, and which exhibits the
relation which the atmospheric temperature bears to the prevalence of this
disease. I have also this month to record a fatal case of malignant cholera
The subject of it was a railway labourer, aged 28 years; who resided at a
common lodging-house, No. 15, Ingram Place, Hornsey Road. He had been
ailing for some weeks ; and on the 24th, 25th and 26th of June was known to
have been troubled with diarrhcea. On the evening of Saturday the 26th,
while walking home from his work, he drank at different houses five or six
pints of porter. In the course of the night the diarrhcea increased, and he
vomited. When visited by Mr. Donald, at 9 a.m. on the 27th, he was passing
choleraic rice-water evacuations, had cramps, and was cold and collapsed. He
died at half-past 5 p.m. None of the other residents in the house have
suffered from bowel complaint. The sleeping-room was well ventilated and