London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Bethnal Green 1870
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green]
This page requires JavaScript
| APRIL | MAY | JUNE | JULY | Total. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 15 | 22 | 29 | 6 | 13 | 20 | 27 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 24 | 1 | .. | |
| 1. Massingham | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 | .. | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 40 |
| 2. Welch | 12 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | .. | 2 | 2 | .. | .. | 4 | 44 | ||
| 3. Richards | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | 3 | 1 | 25 | |
| 4. Defkiez | 3 | .. | 1 | 2 | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | 3 | .. | .. | 4 | 2 | 18 |
| 5. Bukgess | .. | 5 | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 11 |
| 6. Sarvis | 3 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 3 | .. | 4 | 4 | 78 |
| Total Cases | 17 | 30 | 22 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 216 |
| 9 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 133 | |
| JULY | AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | Total. | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .. | 8 | 15 | 22 | 29 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 26 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 23 | 30 | .. |
| 1. Mas8ingham. | 4 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | .. | .. | 3 | 6 | .. | 1 | 8 | .. | 39 |
| 2. Welch | 4 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 6 |
| 3. Richards | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| 4. Defrif.z | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| 5. Burgess | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 |
| 6 Sarvis | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 6 | |
| Total Cases | 10 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 1 | .. | 3 | 6 | .. | 2 | 10 | .. | 56 |
| 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 60 | |
The foregoing Tables show that the brunt of the epidemic was borne
by Dr. Defriez, who attended a large number of cases at a time when
little Hospital accommodation was provided ; consequently, the patients
were nearly all treated at their own homes during the whole period of
their illness.
Early in February the Hospital at Homerton was opened, affording us
some slight relief; but that Institution soon became full, and for some
time Ave were in nearly as bad a position in regard to Hospital accommodation
as before. Indeed, it frequently happened that admission
was sought for a patient, but there was no vacancy; and by the time
there was room, the disease was too far advanced for the patient's removal.
In this exigency we not only sent the patients to Homerton (the Hospital
proper for the District), but we were also obliged to send them to Hampstead
and Stockwell.