London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Islington 1870

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Parish of St Mary]

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REPORT
on the
SANITARY CONDITION OF ST. MAM, ISLINGTON,
FOR JUNE, 1870.
No. CLXXVIII.
The deaths registered during the five weeks ending July 2nd were
878, a number which certainly does not represent a high mortality for
the season. In June 1868, 373 deaths were registered and in June last
year 370. The sickness table gives us a total of 3361 new cases, a
number very little in excess of those recorded last year at the same
season. In June 1868, 39C6 cases were recorded. Measles has prevailed
more than in the month of May, 264 cases having been recorded
in the public practice and 26 deaths registered from this disease. The
deaths from scarlet fever, also, have risen from 27 in the four weeks of
May to 45 in the five weeks of June : but the prevalence of the disease
appears to be somewhat abated, since only 42 cases have been recorded
against 52 in May. Small-pox has not spread. Diarrhceal affections
began to increase materially in the fourth week of the month, the mean
temperature in the previous week having risen above 60 degrees, 205
cases have been recorded, while there have been 19 deaths referred to
diarrhoea and 1 to summer cholera. These are smaller numbers than
were recorded with a smaller population in the years 1865 and 1868.
With the sanction of the Sanitary Committee, it has been arranged
that once in the week certain of the low streets shall be watered with a
weak solution of carbolic acid, and that Macdougal's powder shall be used
in courts and other places where the water carts cannot reach, and upon
common dust-bins and accumulations of decomposing matter in our
courts and near the residences of the poor.
If those of our parishioners who can help themselves would this
summer adopt a similar practice in their own premises, would see to the
cleansing of their water cisterns, insist upon the frequent emptying of
their dust-bins by the contractor, and require their servants to burn
their vegetable refuse, instead of throwing it into the dust-bin to decompose,
they would be doing that which is calculated to preserve
themselvcs and their families from disease.