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

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Wandsworth 1874

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]

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exponent of the necessity for inquiry or otherwise, for
there may be suspicion without crime, and, conversely,
there may be crime without the least suspicion of its existence.
In order to protect society to the utmost against
the possibility of the perpetration of secret crime, it is
most desirable that there should be a skilled investigation
in every instance where the cause of death has not been
certified by a registered Medical Practitioner; and, in
such cases, it should be observed (and here it is that the
law requires amendment), a preliminary medical enquiry
in the place of the unskilled enquiry of the Coroner's Officer
would supersede the necessity for the great majority of
the inquests which are now held at great loss of time, and
convenienceof iuries, and useless expense to the rate-payers.

Epidemic Diseases.—Their Prevalence and Fatality.—The following table shews the deaths which have resulted from the 7 principal Epidemic diseases during the past and ten preceding years, and the relation which they bore to the deaths from all causes.

YEARSSmall PoxMeaslesScarlet FeverDiphtheriaWhoopingCougliCholeraDiarrhoeaFever—Typhus and TyphoidTotal Deaths From EpidemicsTotal Deaths from all causesPercentage of deaths from Epidemics to deaths from all causes
18644...369...8134331113.8
186552316...19185433815.9
1866323102571867335120.7
186731716177333329.9
1868...85220...2276439416.2
1869...23367...2359442921.9
1870...248416...331011345025.1
1871143123...11...21310345322.7
1872151313...2044736512.8
1873...4...38...2274443310.1
1874...142...19...1255245311.5