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
Wandsworth 1885
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]
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| Week of the Year. | Deaths from Diarrhoea in whole Metropolis. | Mean Temperature of Air in Degrees Fahrenheit. | Fall of Rain in inches. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20th | 16 | 48.4 | 0.74 |
| 21st | 20 | 56.0 | 0.46 |
| 22nd | 11 | 62.6 | 0.27 |
| 23rd | 23 | 58.5 | 0.90 |
| 24th | 24 | 58.7 | 0.39 |
| 25th | 44 | 58.3 | 0.11 |
| 26th | 51 | 60.5 | 0.00 |
| 27 th | 110 | 65.0 | 0.02 |
| 28th | 209 | 61.2 | 0.49 |
| 29th | 284 | 64.5 | 0.01 |
| 30th | 348 | 65.2 | 0.01 |
| 31st | 309 | 59.4 | 0.46 |
| 32nd | 222 | 58.2 | 0.14 |
| 33rd | 163 | 57.6 | 0.61 |
| 34th | 121 | 57.2 | 0.40 |
| 35th | 83 | 56.3 | 1.93 |
| 36th | 62 | 57.7 | 0.86 |
| 37th | 40 | 52.7 | 0.18 |
| 38th | 49 | 49.6 | 0.52 |
| 39th | 42 | 47.6 | 1.09 |
| 40th | 35 | 45.4 | 0.44 |
The relationship between a high atmospheric
temperature and Diarrhoea is probably through the
rapid production of fermentative and putrefactive
changes. In hot weather, the food of hand-fed children
rapidly decomposes and the feeding-bottles are sour.
Milk is particularly prone to decomposition under the
same conditions, and should therefore always be scalded.
Water is liable (when it contains the least trace of
impurities) to take on similar changes, and should therefore
be always boiled before use. A defective rainfall
may act through the defective flushing of sewers and