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
Lewisham 1903
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham]
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rate of 0.78 per 1,000 (compared with 1.06 in 1902) for the
whole Borough, the lowest rate of the ten Southern Metropolitan
Boroughs. Of the remaining London sanitary districts, only
Hampstead, 0.74, is lower. The district having the highest
mortality from this cause was Holborn, with 3.14 per 1,000.
The death rate for the County of London was 1.55.
The position of Lewisham, in comparison with other
Boroughs, is most satisfactory.
Sub-dividing the deaths over the three divisions, the
death rates were:—Lee 0.52, Lewisham 0.78, and Sydenham
and Forest Hill 0.90.
Comparing Phthisis with other infectious diseases it was
again responsible for a greater loss of life than Small Pox,
Measles, Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria and Enteric Fever combined.
The total deaths from the diseases mentioned were:—
| Lewisham. | County of London | |
|---|---|---|
| Small Pox | — | 13 |
| Measles | 36 | 2046 |
| Scarlet Fever | 11 | 361 |
| Diphtheria | 20 | 740 |
| Enteric Fever | 9 | 368 |
| Total | 76 | 3528 |
| 107 | 7124 |
In addition to Phthisis 62 deaths were registered as due to
various forms of tubercular disease. (See Table 14).
CLASS III.—Malignant Diseases.—-Cancer was the stated
cause of 77 deaths, compared with 104 in 1902, equal to a
mortality rate of 0.56 per 1,000. On sub-dividing these deaths,
14 were registered in Lee, 35 in Lewisham, and 28 in Sydenham
and Forest Hill. For other diseases of this Class See Table 14.