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22
MEDICAL OFFICER'S FIRST QUARTERLY REPORT.
30th day of April, 1857.
Gentlemen,
To bring down our transactions to the termination of the
first year of our sanitary cycle, I have appended a short summary of
the first quarter of 1857. I have done so, because the RegistrarGeneral
has recommended the Officers of Health to adopt his tabulation,
and to publish in each quarter, uniform returns. To his Table
I have added an Appendix to show, in each sub-division, the deathproportions
of the most fatal classes of disease, and the ages at which
the deaths occurred. During January, February, and March, the births
of 513 boys, and of 487 girls, and the deaths of 593 persons were
registered in Bethnal Green. The latter numbers exhibit a mortality
fewer by 106 than the corresponding months of 1855, but higher by
75 than those of 1856. But although the sum total was more, the
epidemic proportion was less, namely 87 against 99, or a percentage
of 14.6 The same result obtained throughout Loudon, evidencing
that Sanitation has already done good. 153 individuals fell victims
to diseases of the respiratory class, 64 to consumption, 40 to hooping
cough, and 2 to croup, forming conjointly 43.6 per cent of the
total deaths. Grouped together those diseases and the epidemics destroyed
346 persons, or 50 beyond the half of all who died. Affections
of the brain and nervous system cut off 54; those of the heart, 9;
those of the digestive organs, 37; violence, privation, and other casualties
were fatal to 25; and 42 persons died of age. One female, the
widow of a dock servant died in the sub-district Church aged 90 years.
The deaths of children under the age of 1 constituted 26 per cent of
the total deaths; those under 5 about 48, while "in the more distant
and rural part of Surrey, the latter do not quite reach 29," If, as Dr,
Lyon Playfair says, to die between the ages 20—60 be to perish prematurely,
then, in addition to our large infantile loss, out of 593, 148
were untimely deaths. The mean temperature of the quarter was
"about the average, nearly 39°, on 9 weeks was above the average"
but on "two days in the 5th and 6th weeks, the thermometer fell to 20°"
The humidity also "was slightly above the average, remarkable storms
of snow and hail occurred in March, and the ranges of the barometer
exceeded one inch in each month."
I have the honour to be,
Gentlemen,
with great respect,
very faithfully yours,
SAMUEL PEARCE,
Medical Officer of Health.
To the Gentlemen of the
Vestry of Bethnal Green,