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
Whitechapel 1865
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Whitechapel]
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The following table, which is compiled from the weekly returns of the Registrar General, may be found interesting. It shows during each week the rainfall in inches, the range of temperature, the mean temperature, and whether the temperature has been above or below the average for the corresponding week in the last 50 years, as determined by Mr. Glaisher.
| Week ending | Rainfall. | Range of Temperature. | Mean Temperature. | Above the Average. | Below the Average. | Remarks. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 8 | 0.08 | 71.5° to 31.9° | 48.9° | 3.7° | — | |
| „ 15 | 0 15 | 72.0 „ 37.4 | 52.4 | 73 | — | |
| „ 22 | 0.13 | 76.7 „ 39.2 | 56.0 | 9.0 | — | |
| „ 29 | o.oo | 81.5 „ 36.1 | 54.2 | 6.2 | — | |
| May 6 | 0.16 | 74.0 „ 31.4 | 54.1 | 3.5 | — | |
| „ 13 | 2.69 | 70.0 „ 38.9 | 50.7 | — | 0.7° | Rain fell on 5 days in this week. |
| „ 20 | 0.16 | 72.8 „ 39.2 | 53.7 | 1.1 | — | |
| „ 27 | 1.35 | 78.5 „ 42.3 | 61.7 | 7.1 | — | On the 23rd, 1*03 inches fell. |
| June 3 | 1.11 | 73.8 „ 47.2 | 58.3 | 1.7 | — | Rain fell during 4 days in this week. |
| „ 10 | o.oo | 82.0 „ 50.9 | 63.6 | 0.3 | — | |
| „ 17 | 000 | 77.0 „ 41.2 | 57.8 | — | 1.0° | |
| „ 24 | 0.00 | 87.6 „ 42.4 | 61.1 | 1.2 | — | On Thursday 29th rain fell to the extent of 0.02 inches, and on Friday 30th to 1.39 inches. |
| July 1 | 1.41 | 77.0 „ 47.0 | 59.5 | 1.9° |
An unusally long drought prevailed in the month of June. No rain appears
to have fallen in London for 25 days, viz. from the 3rd to 29th. The total
amount of rainfall during this month was T51 inches. In the four weeks from
the 10th of June to the 1st of July the mortality in this district was 183. The
average mortality during the corresponding weeks in the previous ten years
was 146*8. The mortality therefore in these four weeks has been 30.2 above
the average.
The mortality of children under 5 years of age has been 245, which is
41.2 per cent. of the total deaths. The mortality of children under 5 years
in relation to the total deaths in each of the registration districts may be
seen on referring to table No. 4. In the Whitechapel North Sub.district it is
as usual very high, viz. 57*5 per cent.; and in the Aldgate Sub.district it is
58 per cent. In the corresponding quarter of the previous year the proportion
of deaths under 5 was 44.6 per cent. of the total mortality. The deaths in the
Aldgate Sub.district are 25 in excess of the births. If the registration of
births were made compulsory, it is probable that more births would be
registered.