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
Hackney 1897
Report on the sanitary condition of the Hackney District for the year 1897
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1894, was disturbed, the rate of Hackney rising considerably above
the London rate in 1895, and excessively so in 1896, but during the
third quarter of last year the old relationship of 1892 to 1894
between the death-rates of Hackney and London was restored.
Table VI.
Number of Deaths from Diarrhcea during the third Quarter of the years 1892-1897 in Hackney and London, and the corresponding mortality rates per 1,000 living persons.
| Year. | No.of deaths from Diarrhœa in 3rd quarter in Hackney. | Mortality rate per 1.000 living. | No.of deaths from Diarrhcea in 3rd quarter in London. | Mortality rate per 1,000 living in London. | Average atmospheric temperature for the quarter. | Rain fall in inches during the quarter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1802 | 84 | 1.6 | 1747 | 1.6 | 59 .2 | 6.6 |
| 1893 | 98 | 1.8 | 2177 | 2.0 | 61.9 | 5.9 |
| 1894 | 57 | 1.1 | 1212 | 1.1 | 58.6 | 7.5 |
| 1895 | 153 | 2.9 | 2647 | 2.4 | 62.3 | 6.5 |
| 1896 | 175 | 3.2 | 2624 | 2.3 | 60.4 | 8.7 |
| 1897 | 177 | 3.2 | 3507 | 3.1 | 6.4 | 6 .6 |
To produce such an alteration in the relative death-rates, some
local cause must have been at work in Hackney during 1895 and
1896 which was not operating over the whole of London. The only
local factor in existence during the above periods was the water
famine. How this could produce an increase in diarrhoea I have
pointed out in my former reports.
Whooping Cough.—This disease was not so prevalent during
1897 as the previous year, the number of deaths being 94 against
146 in 1896. The death-rate for the year is therefore .43 per 1,000,
against .41 per 1,000 for all London.
Measles.—This disease was very prevalent in Hackney during
the year; how prevalent cannot be exactly stated, owing to the
absence of notification, but that the number of cases was considerable
may be inferred from the fact that 135 deaths were due to this
cause. The death-rate is therefore .62 per 1,000 living persons in
Hackney.
The disease was most prevalent during the fourth quarter of the
year, no less than 85 of the total deaths being registered during that