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
St Olave 1896
Annual report of the vital statistics and sanitary condition of the District for the year 1896
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By the Public Health Act of 1896, the Acts relating to
quarantine have been repealed, and further provision made
with respect to epidemic, endemic, and infectious diseases.
By the new regulations of the Local Government Board,
additional and more stringent precautions against the introduction
of cholera are to be taken, and plague and yellow
fever are now subject to the same regulations.
A new English Life Table was during the year issued by
the Registrar General. This is founded on the Vital Statistics
of England and Wales for the decennium 1881-90. It is the
third which has been published, and it is worthy of remark
that the successive tables bear evidence to the enormous
saving of life and health which have been effected by the
sanitary administration in this countrv.
The average life time of males and females, or the expectation of life at birth, has been by the
| MALES. | FEMALES. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Life Table, 1838—54 | 39.91 years. | 41.85 years. |
| 2nd „ 1871—80 | 41.35 „ | 44.62 „ |
| 3rd „ 1881—90 | 43.66 „ | 47.18 „ |
That is to say, that since the period on which the first
Life Table was founded, the average life of males has been
increased 3¾ years, and of females 5⅓ years.
Another Royal Commission on Tuberculosis is now
sitting. It has to report principally upon what practical
means can be taken to secure the extermination of tuberculosis
from our meat and milk supplies.
The Board may be glad to know that I have had the
honour of giving evidence before this Commission.