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 1863
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham]
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A complaint having been made of a disagreeable smell arising from tho premises of
Mr. Lone, of Rushey Green, I called and made an inspection. The disagreeable smell
arises in the process of manufacture of a particular kind of red dye, and is at times very
unpleasant to the inhabitants immediately around that neighbourhood.
Meteorological tables and tables of mortality are appended as usual.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
| Week ending | Weight of Air. Barometer corrected. Mean inches. | Timperature of Air. Thermometer. | Prevailing winds. | Rainy days. | Amount of rain in inches. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest. | Lowest. | Mean of daily readings. | |||||
| May 30 | 29.978 | 79.7 | 35.9 | 55.4 | N.E. & S. | 0 | 0.00 |
| June 6 | 29. 819 | 84. 0 | 42.1 | 57.2 | S.E. & S.W. | 3 | 1.07 |
| 13 | 29.444 | 68.3 | 46 .0 | 54.7 | S.W. | 6 | 0.76 |
| 20 | 29.705 | 72.7 | 45.4 | 58.8 | Variable. | 4 | 1.66 |
JULY.
| DISTRICTS. | BIRTHS. | DEATHS. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| Blackheath | 7 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Lewiahnm | 13 | 9 | 22 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| Union Workhouse | - | — | — | — | 3 | 3 |
| Sydenham | 14 | 14 | 28 | 12 | 4 | 16 |
| Penge | 6 | 13 | 19 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| N. S. D. School | — | — | - | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 40 | 39 | 79 | 23 | 18 | 41 |
Gentlemen,
During the five weeks comprised between the 19th September, and Saturday, the
21th of October, 110 births and 41 deaths have been registered in the district. During
the same space of time in 1861, 48 deaths were registered, and during 4 weeks at the corresponding
period last year, 31 deaths were recorded.
I he mortality is not above the average at this period of the year.
Six deaths have taken place from epidemic disease in the undermentioned localities : —
Female, 1 year. Whooping cough, Granville Park, Blackheath.
Female, 5 months. Diarrhoea, Avenue Road, Lewisham.
Male, 9 months. Diarrhoea, The Retreat, Lewisham.
Male, 19 years. Gastric fever, The Grove, Lewisham.
Female, 7 years. Whooping cough, Bell Green, Sydenham.
Male, 6 years. Typhus fever, North Surrey School, Penge.
1 wo deaths only have taken place from inflammatory affections of the lungs, and five
from consumption.
A labourer was killed at Penge in consequence of falling from a scaffold.
A female died suddenly from disease of the heart in the Crystal Palace waiting room.
Oases of scarlet fever, whooping cough, and measles, are still occurring in this district.
Smallpox is epidemic at Blackheath. In seven out of nine houses which comprise a
court called Phoenix Square, the inhabitants have been attacked by this disease; a case
also has occurred in "Bath Place." I have many times brought a representation of the