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 1905
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham]
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37
Comparing Phthisis with other infectious diseases it was
responsible for a greater loss of life than all the zymotic
diseases combined.
The total deaths from the diseases mentioned were :—
| Lewisham. | County of London. | |
|---|---|---|
| Small-Pox | 4 | 10 |
| Measles | 41 | 1709 |
| Scarlet Fever | 5 | 549 |
| Diphtheria | 8 | 546 |
| Enteric Fever | 6 | 234 |
| Fever (Pyrexia) | — | 3 |
| Whooping Cough | 24 | 1487 |
| Ep. Diarrhoea and Enteritis | 32 | 3356 |
| Total | 120 | 7894 |
| Phthisis | 126 | 6622 |
In addition to Phthisis 46 deaths were registered as due to
various forms of tubercular disease. (See Table 14).
CLASS III.—Malignant Diseases (130).—Cancer was the
stated cause of 104 deaths, compared with 92 in 1904, equal to a
mortality rate of 0.72 per 1,000. On sub-dividing these deaths,
'21 were registered in Lee, 51 in Lewisham, and 32 in Sydenham
and Forest Hill. For other diseases of this Class see Table 14.
CLASS IV.—Nervous Diseases (114). — This class was
responsible for 114 deaths, equal to 6.7 per cent. of the total deaths.
Of this number 43 were cases of Insanity, 13 Meningitis, 29
Convulsions; of the latter 23 were children under 1 year.
CLASS V.—Diseases of Heart and Circulation (263).
Diseases of Heart and Blood Vessels accounted for 263 deaths,
equal to 15.6 per cent. of the total deaths. Seventy-six deaths
were due to Valvular Heart Disease and Endocarditis.