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
St Giles (Camden) 1869
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Giles District]
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able influence of the close and fetid atmosphere which characterises the
houses of the poor at this time of the year A few of the deaths from this
disease followed measles.
Fevers.
Fevers of various kinds, including typhus, gave us 37 deaths (the deaths
in hospital inclusive) in 1869; a larger number than in the preceding year,
but not equal to the mortality from this cause in 1867.
The Mortality in the Sub.Districts of St. Giles.
The following Table shows the death.rate in the three Sub.districts, in
comparison with the ten previous years. Our mortality last year was higher
than the average, the greatest difference being in St. Giles North; the death.
rate in that Sub.district having been higher than in any preceding year in
the series except 1866.
TABLE VII.—D eath.Rate per 1000 in S ub.districts *
| DISTRICTS. | 1859. | 1860. | 1861. | 1862. | 1863. | 1864. | 1865. | 1866. | 1867. | 1868. | Average Death.rate of 10 years. | 1869. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. George, Bloomsbury | 18.4 | 18.5 | 20.5 | 21.6 | 19.9 | 21.6 | 21.1 | 20.0 | 19.0 | 21.0 | 20.16 | 21.16 |
| St. Giles, South | 34.9 | 34.6 | 291 | 31.7 | 32.7 | 24.8 | 34.6 | 32.8 | 31.6 | 31.1 | 32.79 | 33.20 |
| St. Giles, North | 24.0 | 24.7 | 27.9 | 28.2 | 27.3 | 29.2 | 26.6 | 29.8 | 26.6 | 25.3 | 26.96 | 29.47 |
| Whole District | 26.0 | 26.2 | 27.0 | 28.9 | 28.5 | 31.1 | 29.6 | 29.0 | 26.9 | 26.8 | 26.63 | 27.94 |
* Correction has been made for the extra length of the registration years 1863 & 1868, and for the
proportion of deaths due to each sub-district among the deaths in the Workhouse and in Hospitals outside
the respective sub-districts.
The deaths from those diseases that caused the chief part of the mortality in
the District are represented below for different ages.
TABLE No. VIII.—The Deaths in the Sub-districts from Certain Diseases at different Ages in 1869.
| Sub-Districts. | Under One Year. | From 1 to 20 Years. | From 20 to 65 Years. | From 65Years & upwards. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miasmatic Diseas. | Bronchitis & Pneumonia. | Atrophy and Debility | Miasmatic Diseas. | Bronchitis & Pneumonia. | Phthisis | Bronchitis & Pneumonia. | Phthisis | Atrophy and Paralysis. | All Diseases. | |
| St. George Bloomsbury | 21 | 7 | 10 | 34 | 23 | 5 | 23 | 34 | 3 | 39 |
| St. Giles South | 47 | 35 | 25 | 63 | 54 | 17 | 72 | 129 | 18 | 97 |
| St. Giles North | 27 | 31 | 20 | 44 | 59 | 7 | 24 | 38 | 6 | 35 |
The foregoing Table exhibits the largely preponderating mortality in
St. Giles South at every period of life. To reiterate what the figures declare
would be a waste of time. It is observable that the infant mortality in St.
Giles North and the mortality under 20 years far exceed Bloomsbury, whilst
the mortality in the prime of life and in advanced age does not materially
differ. It is clear then that it is the deaths among persons under 20 years
that chiefly contribute to the increased death-rate of St. Giles North. On the
other hand the heavy mortality in St. Giles South in mature and later life
indicates the presence of a large immigrant population. These are chiefly
either Irish persons who die during their acclimitisation, or are tramps and
vagrants who are housed in large numbers in this Sub-district.