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 1871
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Whitechapel]
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5
Pauper Illness in the District.
The Medical Officers of the Union have attended, during the last quarter,
3688 new cases of illness out of the "Workhouse, including 352 of small-pox,
15 of measles, 4 of scarlet-fever, 50 of hooping-cough, 97 of diarrhoea, 82 of
fever, and 24 of erysipelas. In the corresponding quarter of the previous
year, the number of pauper cases of illness was 3047, including 3 of smallpox,
34 of measles, 27 of scarlet-fever, 32 of hooping-cough, 109 of diarrhoea,
61 of fever, 2 of diphtheria, and 18 of erysipelas.
Meteorology of Greenwich.
The Returns of the Registrar-General show that the rain-fall in the
Metropolis during the quarter has been 4.21 inches. During tho corresponding
quarter of last year the rain-fall was 3.97 inches. The mean temperature
of the air was 40.0°. In the corresponding quarter of last year the
mean temperature was 36.8°. The coldest days during the quarter were
Friday, the 13th January, Sunday, the 1st January, and Monday, the 2nd
January, when the thermometer indicated respectively 18.3°, 19.2°, and 24.0°.
In tho corresponding quarter of the previous year the greatest degree of
cold was on Friday, the 18th February, when the thermometer indicated
19.4°. In the week ending January 21st, the rain-fall was 1.32 inches.
The following Table, taken from the returns of the Registrar-General,
shows the comparative results of the Quarter:—
LONDON.
| Jan. 7th | Jan. 14th | Jan. 21st | Jan. 28th | Feb. 4th | Feb. 11th | Feb. 18th | Feb. 25th | Mar. 4th | Mar. 11th | Mar. 18th | Mar. 25th | Apr. 1st | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths from Small Pox | 79 | 135 | 188 | 157 | 19G | 211 | 218 | 227 | 213 | 194 | 185 | 205 | 192 |
| Deaths from Scar- let Fever | 112 | 77 | 68 | 66 | 49 | 46 | 48 | 47 | 53 | 54 | 33 | 36 | 33 |
| Mean Tempera- ture of the air | 31·1° | 33·0° | 37·1° | 32·4° | 34·9° | 41·6° | 42·7° | 43·8° | 45·7° | 46·3° | 41·7° | 47·1° | 43·8° |
| Rain-fall in inches | 0.07 | 0.08 | 1.32 | 0.54 | 0.19 | 0.72 | 0 02 | 0.06 | 0.11 | 0.47 | 0.58 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| Deaths in London- | 1828 | 1896 | 184G | 1632 | 1G33 | 1749 | 1625 | 1G33 | 1591 | 1601 | 1576 | 1665 | 1564 |
| Deaths in White-chapel District | 55 | 64 | 56 | 60 | 40 | 71 | 55 | 63 | 61 | 55 | 54 | 62 | 51 |
| Deaths in ditto from Small-pox | 3 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 3 |
Water Supply.
Since my last quarterly report was issued a Bill to amend the Metropolis
Water Act of 1852, and to make further provision for the duo supply of
water, has been introduced into the House of Commons.
Although this Bill contains some very valuable provisions—especially
those which require the Companies to provide under certain regulations a
constant supply of water, which is to be of a certain standard as to purity,
and to appoint an analyst who shall be required to test the quality of the
water supplied by each Company by a daily analysis and see that it is