London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Southwark 1894

Annual report for 1894 of the Medical Officer of Health

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15
Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health—1894.

TABLE XII.

Sanitary Area.Estimated Population middle of 1894.Persons to an Acre.Annual rate per 1,000 living.Deaths of Infants under 1 year of age to 1,000 Births.
Deaths from all Causes.Deaths fr'm principal Zymotic Diseases
St. George, southwark60,03021123.94.0214
St. saviour, southwark26,71213221.03.3145
St.Olave southwark12,98410320.72.8126
Bermondsey84,05313520.73.3146
Newington118,51218520.02.8158
Rotherhithe40,3655319.03.3161
Woolwich42,3093717.82.6136
Lambeth282.5747117.22.4133
Greenwich173,1284917.23.1138
Camberwall248,8935416.32.8148
Battersea161,5587116.03.1146
Lewisham79,9031513.81.9128
Plumstead59,233912.52.194
Wandsworth179,5161812.41.8144
Lee38,1722312.41.794
London4,349,1665717.42.6143

" The foregoing table shows that St. George's—the most densely-populated district
in the United Kingdom—had among the South London Sanitary areas in 1893 :—
(1) The highest general death rate. (2) The highest zymotic or preventable deathrate.
(3) The largest number of deaths of infants under one year of age. "
The above quotation from my 1893 Report need not be altered. As it stands for
that year it also describes exactly the unenviable position in these vital points of St.
George's, Southwark, for 1894. This fact speaks for itself and no words of mine are
needed to emphasise the strikiug testimony afforded by these figures.
Customs and Inland Revenue Acts.
1890, s. 26 (2), and 1891, S. 4.
Eighty-six tenements, occupied by about 430 persons, have been examined by me
during 1894. This duty has been performed at the request of the respective owners,
with a view to the granting of certificates by your Medical Officer, by virtue of which
exemption from inhabited house duty may be claimed under the provisions of the
Acts.
Much time was taken up in the inspection of the dwellings before certificates
could either be given or refused.
The Act of 1890 provides that, "before exemption from duty can be claimed the
house be so constructed as to afford suitable accomodation for each of the families or
persons inhabiting it, and that due provision be made for their sanitary requirements."
The Act of 1891 stipulates that the annual value of each separate dwelling within
the house " shall not amount to £20."
The standard of sanitary requirements fixed by me was reached in the case of five
houses (the same number as in 1893).
Certificates were given in each of these eases.