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
Finsbury 1903
Report on the public health of 1903
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| Months. | 0— | 1— | 2— | 3— | 4— | 5— | 6— | 7— | 8— | 9— | 10— | 11— | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Clerkenwell | 48 | 19 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 163 |
| South Clerkenwell | 44 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 125 | |
| Finsbury (St. Luke) | 54 | 18 | 25 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 19 | 11 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 210 |
| St. Sepulchre | ... | ... | 2 | 1 | ... | 1 | 1 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 5 |
| Totals | 146 | 44 | 48 | 37 | 29 | 33 | 39 | 28 | 27 | 32 | 18 | 22 | 503 |
Turning now to the causes of death in these infants, we find the record is as follows:—
| Causes of Death. | Diarrhoea. | Prematurity. | Marasmus. | Bronchitis. | Pneumonia. | Convulsions. | Suffocated in Bed. | Measles. | Whooping Cough. | Accidents. | Tuberculosis. | Diphtheria. Erysipelas, Croup. | Miscellaneous. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Clerkenwell | 29 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 11 | ... | 7 | 1 | 19 | 163 |
| South Clerkenwell | 13 | 21 | 16 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | ... | 30 | 125 |
| Finsbury (St. Luke) | 34 | 25 | 28 | 19 | 20 | 3 | 17 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 32 | 210 |
| St. Sepulchre | 1 | 1 | ... | 1 | 1 | 1 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 5 |
| Totals, 1903 | 77 | 70 | 64 | 54 | 41 | 17 | 30 | 19 | 21 | 6 | 21 | 2 | 81 | 503 |
Some of these figures are very striking. In 1902 there was
evidence of some decline in the number of deaths due to Epidemic
Diarrhœa. In 1903 this decline is still continued. Further
reference is made to this subject on a later page. As regards
Suffocation in Bed I have to report that 70 per cent. of these cases
occurred between Saturday and Monday. They were in all probability
mostly due to Alcoholism. "Prematurity" and "Malnutrition and
Debility" are more common causes of the death of infants in towns
than in rural districts. The latter conditions and the indefinite disease
termed "Marasmus" have all been entered in this report under one