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
Lewisham 1860
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham]
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METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
| Week ending. | Weight of air. Barometer corrected. Mean inches. | Temperature of Air. Thermometer. | Prevailing winds. | Rainy days. | Amount of rain in inches. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest. | Lowest. | Mean of daily readings. | |||||
| June 30 | 29.767 | 74°0 | 48°3 | 57°1 | S.W. | 6 | 1.02 |
| July 7 | 30.126 | 73.3 | 41.6 | 58.5 | N.W. | - | 0.00 |
| 14 | 29.870 | 74.3 | 44.6 | 57.4 | N.E. | - | 0.00 |
| 21 | 29.682 | 75.0 | 50.2 | 59.0 | S.W. | 4 | 0.83 |
AUGUST.
| DISTRICTS. | BIRTHS. | DEATHS. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| Blackheath | 4 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Lewisham | 8 | 12 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Union Workhouse | - | - | - | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Sydenham | 15 | 14 | 29 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| Penge | 4 | 3 | 7 | 3 | - | 3 |
| Total | 31 | 35 | 66 | 21 | 11 | 32 |
Gentlemen,
During the five weeks which have elapsed since I last reported to you upon the health
of the district, sixty-six births and thirty-two deaths have been recorded.
The mortality of the district has been below the average amount usual at this time of
the year, and the district has been healthy.
But seven deaths have been ascribed to epidemic disease, that is disease depending
upon faulty local sanitary arrangements: thus, in
Blackheath—
18th Aug. Fever, Blackheath Hill.
Lewisham—
29th July. Scarlet fever, Blythe Field.
4th Aug. Smallpox, Cross Street.
9th „ Ditto, ditto.
11th „ Typhus, Homesdale.
Sydenham—
26th July. Diptheria, Forest Vale.
18th Aug. Typhoid fever, Orchard Place.
Five or six cases of smallpox have occurred in the district, but only two (above mentioned)
have proved fatal.
Diarrhœa has attacked a few persons, but a very small amount as compared with the
number usually affected in every place in the summer season, when the temperature is
more elevated.
I wish again to direct your attention to the state of Orchard Place, in which there are
ten inhabited houses.
Several cases of typhoid fever have occurred here, and are still occurring (one death
I have mentioned above from this cause), and are attributed, by the medical men in
attendance, to the impure water supply and general want of proper drainage and
cleanliness.
The inhabitants are solely dependant for their water supply upon the small river
Poole, as no other supply can be obtained by them for nearly half a mile. This small