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 1872
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Whitechapel]
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7
Meteorology at Greenwich.
The returns of the Registrar-General show that the rain-fall in the
Metropolis during the Quarter has been 6.39 inches. During the corresponding
Quarter of last year, the rain-fall was 8.42 inches. The mean temperature
of the air was 61.2°. In the corresponding Quarter of last year, the mean
temperature was 61.3°. The hottest days during the Quarter were Sunday,
July 21st, Monday, July 22nd, and Thursday, July 25th, when the
thermometer, in the shade, indicated respectively 87.0°, 87.1°, and 90.9°
In the corresponding Quarter of the previous year, the highest reading of the
thermometer, in the shade, was on Sunday, August 13th, when it indicated
89.2°.
The following table, taken from the returns of the Registrar-General, shows the comparative results of the Quarter:—
LONDON.
| July 6th | July 13th | July 20th | July 27th | Aug. 3rd | Aug 10th | Aug 17th | Aug 24th | Aug 31st | Sep. 7th | Sep. 14th | Sep. 21st | Sep. 28th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths from Small Pox | 35 | 26 | 29 | 33 | 28 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 9 |
| Deaths from Scarlet Fever | 17 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 22 | 12 | 17 |
| Mean Temperature of the air | 64.5O | 631° | 614° | 711° | 61.7° | 59.2° | 60.6° | 64.3° | 60.1° | 64.5° | 62.7° | 543° | 49.0° |
| Rain-fall in inches | 0.31 | 0.71 | 0.16 | 1.00 | 0.01 | 138 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.47 | 0.33 | 0.07 | 0.10 | 0.84 |
| Deaths in London | 1193 | 1285 | 1467 | 1643 | 1695 | 1598 | 1445 | 1274 | 1236 | 1236 | 1203 | 1106 | 1279 |
| Deaths in Whitechapel District | 46 | 41 | 68 | 51 | 51 | 60 | 41 | 54 | 46 | 40 | 55 | 46 | 71 |
| Deaths in ditto from Small-pox | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Small-Pox.
During this quarter it will be observed, from the returns of sickness and
mortality, that only five cases of small-pox have occurred, and that not a
single case of the disease has proved fatal. We may therefore consider that
the epidemic of small-pox has now passed away. This however is the time
to most strongly urge upon all the officers who have been appointed to carry
out the provisions of the Vaccination Act, not to relax in their exertions to
bring all the children bom in the District under the influence of vaccination;
for parents are too apt to neglect the duty when the epidemic has ceased.
Vaccination.
The following return, prepared by the Vaccination Officer to the Board of
Guardians, is very satisfactory, inasmuch as it shows that considerable diligence,
in the performance of his duty, has been shown; for out of 949 births
692 children have been successfully vaccinated.