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28 Parish of St. George the Martyr, Southivark.
A possible source of cholera infection through the handling of straw from an
infected port has therefore been established, The evidence consists of (a) The
history of the attack ; (b) The testimony of Dr. Cooper, the medical man in attendance
; (c) The independent bacteriological examination carried out by Dr. Klein and
by me. We may conclude, then, that the case in Quinn's Buildings was one of true
Asiatic cholera.
Influenza.—Seven deaths were registered in the parish from this disease, which
number was 17 less than St. George's proportion of total deaths from influenza in
London. Twelve deaths were registered from this cause in 1891, and 14 in 1892.
The deaths in the whole of London attributed directly to iufluenza were 1,526 in
1893, 2,264 in 1892, 2,336 in 1891, and 652 in 1890.
Puerperal Fever—There were five deaths from this virulent and highly-contagious
disease in 1893, as against three in 1892. Bach of the five patients was attended by
a different medical practitioner and midwife.
The latter were advised by me regarding the disinfection of their persons, and
cautioned to discontinue their practice for at least six weeks after the death of a
patient. This advice, so far as I could learn, was followed in each instance. The
infected clothes of the midwives were burnt, and their money value paid to the owners.
Each case of puerperal fever was reported by me to your Health Committee, with a
view of compensation for loss of employment, and of thus encouraging the midwives
to aid in preventing the spread of the disease. In one instance—that of a poor
midwife—compensation for loss of time and practice was given by the Committee.
The death rate from puerperal fever might be materially lessened, if not completely
wiped out, by the more general use of antiseptics in the case of lying-in women.
Erysipelas.—One hundred and forty-two cases were notified (against 108 in 1892)
and six deaths recorded from this disease. Of these cases, 64 occurred in the
Borough Road, 42 in the London Road, and 36 in the Kent Road sub-districts.
As stated in my Annual Report for 1892, my experience tells me that the special
micro-organism producing erysipelas thrives best in those situations where dampness,
want of light, and stagnation of air are combined. The infection is commonly spread
in underground basements, which, but for the saving word "separately" in the Act,
might be closed on the charge of illegal occupation.
The occupiers too often, however, rent the whole house, let off the upper portion
of it, and dwell in the basement, which is sometimes little better than a cellar, and
liable to sewage reflux in times of heavy rainfall.
Tubercular Complaints.—These, including phthisis, or consumption of the lungs,
come under the class of constitutional diseases. In St. George's they caused 3 8
deaths per 1,000, as against 3'7 for London.
Respiratory Diseases.
The death-rate from diseases of the respiratory organs (not including consumption
of the lungs) was 6.7 in St. George's, as against 4.5 per 1,000 in London. In
other words 2.2 more persons die per 1,000 in your parish from this cause than is the
case in London as a whole.
Of the total number of deaths, 226 were from bronchitis and 138 from pneumonia.
The following Table (corrected) gives the number of deaths from bronchitis,
pneumonia, or inflammation of the lungs, and phthisis, or consumption, in the three
sub-districts of St. George's during 1892 and 1893:—