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
London County Council 1899
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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over, are young adults, the males for the most part employed in the construction of the Central
London Electric Railway—"good lives," therefore, in the actuarial sense. The matter calls for such
watching as may be practicable, lest there should be an increase in room-crowding to the greater
detriment of the health of the inhabitants."
The following particulars as to the vital statistics of the special area are given by Dr. Dudfield
in his annual report for 1898.
| 1896. | 1897. | 1898. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population estimated to the middle of the year | 3,740 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| Births | 118 | 130 | 117 |
| Birth rate per 1,000 persons living | 31.6 | 32.5 | 29.3 |
| Deaths | 187 | 223 | 182 |
| Death rate per 1,000 persons living | 50 | 55.7 | 45.5 |
| Infantile mortality— | |||
| Deaths under 1 year of age | 51 | 56 | 49 |
| Death rate per 1,000 registered births | 432 | 431 | 419 |
| Zymotic diseases— | |||
| Number of deaths from the seven principal zymotic diseases | 30 | 25 | 22 |
| Death rate per 1,000 persons living | 8.0 | 6.3 | 5.5 |
Dr. Dudfield has pursued this question of the eminently unsatisfactory health conditions in the
"special area" still further. He found that 723 of the total 3,459 persons admitted to the infirmary
during the year ending 27th March, 1897, came from the "special area." Thus this area "which
comprises only one forty-third of the population of the parish, contributed one-fifth of the indoor sick."
He obtained particulars relating to the 723 admissions to the infirmary from the "special area," and
found that of these 505 were admitted upon relieving officer's orders and medical certificates, the
remaining 218 admissions representing transfers from the workhouse, and other cases not admitted
direct by the relieving officers. Concerning the 505 cases, certain interesting particulars were
ascertainable. Thus the nature of the disease is given (vide Annual Report, 1897, p. 136). Again it
transpires that "of the 505 cases 155, or nearly one-thii-d, were from the 23 common lodging-houses,
which contain accommodation for 703 persons, and shelter an average nightly population of 650; 350
cases having been admitted from the remaining 252 houses, the ascertained population of which is
3,378." Dr. Dudfield proceeds to point out that effort is made to secure the removal of persons at the
common lodging-houses when seriously ill, a fact which of course, as he explains, "accounts for the
larger proportion of admissions to population from these establishments."
Dr. Dudfield still further extended the scope of his enquiry to out-patients, and ultimately
obtained the following particulars relating to the 1,689 cases in which medical orders were issued
during the year in question. These cases of course include the 505 cases referred to above as admitted
to the infirmary.
| Street. | Sex. | Total. | Age. | Houses in streets. | Cases at or from. | Where treated. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | 0-1 yr. | 1-5 yrs. | 5-12 yrs. | 12-20 yrs. | 20-60 yrs. | 60 yrs.and upwards. | Common lodging-houses. | Other houses. | Total. | Common lodging-houses. | Other houses. | At dispensary. | At home. | ||
| Bangor-street | 150 | 195 | 345 | 19 | 59 | 22 | 24 | 187 | 34 | 11 | 28 | 30 | 68 | 277 | 272 | 73 |
| Crescent-street | 124 | 336 | 23 | 40 | 25 | 22 | 198 | 28 | 8 | 30 | 38 | 79 | 257 | 265 | 71 | |
| Sirdar-road (late St. Clement's-road) | 121 | 134 | 255 | 14 | 33 | 17 | 9 | 156 | 26 | 4 | 34 | 38 | 24 | 231 | 201 | 54 |
| St. Katharine's-road | 218 | 346 | 564 | 61 | 75 | 52 | 45 | 291 | 40 | _ | 110 | 110 | _ | 564 | 426 | 138 |
| Kenley-street (late William-street) | 77 | 112 | 189 | 17 | 31 | 23 | 21 | 83 | 14 | - | 50 | 50 | - | 189 | 137 | 52 |
| Total | 690 | 999 | 1,689 | 134 | 238 | 139 | 121 | 915 | 142 | 23 | 252 | 275 | 171 | 1,518 | 1,301 | 388 |
On an examination of the particulars ascertained with regard to outdoor and indoor sickness
combined, it transpires that only 171 out of a total 1,689 cases were from common lodging-houses.
Thus the common lodging-house population, amounting to between one-fifth and one-sixth of the total
population, only contributed between one-ninth and one-tenth of the sickness. Again, of 183 deaths
in the poor law year 1896-97, Dr. Dudfield states that "the deaths of persons who had previously
lived at common lodging-houses were 29, and of other inhabitants 154. The death rate of the district
as a whole was nearly 46 per 1,000; of the common lodging-house people 44.6 per 1,000; of the
other inhabitants 46 per 1,000."
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