London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Whitechapel 1888

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Whitechapel]

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9
by the slight variation which exists between the figures in the
parallel columns. You will perceive that we suffer somewhat more
from constitutional and respiratory diseases, and also from violence,
but the latter, as you are aware, is a very unusual distinction.
During the year the civilized world heard with horror of the
terrible outrages which took place in Whitechapel. They followed
one upon another, in a manner with which every one is familiar.
All bore the same evidence that one person was concerned, and
that person without doubt was a lunatic. It is also clear to those
who are familiar with the District, that were the miscreant a
resident in the district, he could not have escaped detection. So
customary has it been for strangers to credit Whitechapel with all
crimes which take place in the East of London, that it is no uncommon
thing for newspaper headings to declare outrages to have
occurred in Whitechapel which in reality were far removed.
The Registration forms for the past 26 years prove that since
March 1862, and up to September 1888, a total of 19 deaths due
to murder took place. Of these 6 were cases of Infanticide, and
5 were included amongst the awful crimes which occurred during
the first 9 months of this year. Of the remaining 8, four were
reported from the London Hospital, and no addresses were forthcoming,
and thus no information was given to connect the cases
with our District in any way—-in fact, in one instance it was distinctly
stated, that the victim was discovered in a railway carriage
at the St. Mary's Station. I have now narrowed this inquiry to
4 cases, one of which was the poisoning of a child by its mother,
who herself at the same time whilst of unsound mind, committed
suicide by similar means.

I proceed to specify how the zymotic percentages of 15.40 and 11. 30 respectively are composed:—

Diseases Causing Death.Entire Metropolis.Whitechapel.
Small-pox0.0110.0
Measles3.0451.524
Scarlet-fever1.5321.143
Typhus-fever0.0120.0
Whooping-cough3.7902.350
Diphtheria1.6491.334
Enteric-fever0.8450.825
Simple Cholera and Diarrhoea2.8303.176
All other Zymotic Diseases1.0750.952

Small-pox and Typhus Fever are conspicuous by their absence
from the Whitechapel District.