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103 deaths were attributed to these causes, 66 for Bermondsey, 29 for Rotherhithe, and 8
for St. Olave's. This, though comparatively low figure, is not so low as 1902, when the number
was 88. The low figure for 1902 was attributed by me to the cold wet summer of that year,
but will not explain why the figure for 1903 is higher since the summer of that year was much
wetter than that for 1902. The rainfall as recorded at Greenwich for the 3 months, July,
August and September (the diarrhoea months) in 1902 being 1.09, 2.93 and 1.65 ins. respectively,
the corresponding numbers for 1903 being 5.27, 4.82, 2.24 ins. As diarrhœa is essentially a
disease of infants under 1 year old and is due to a contamination of food (chiefly milk) one is
driven again to the conclusion that faulty feeding and contaminated milk, especially if aided by
a hot dry summer, are the chief causes of the deaths under this head. Apparently in the year
under survey the wetness of the summer was not able to counteract the effects of improper food
and feeding.
Table appended shows the results of the investigation into the subject initiated in 1901.
Table H.—Diarrhœa.
Method of Feeding.
State of Premises.
Family.
Year.
Cases
Inquired
into.
Artificially.
Overcrowding.
Good.
Defective.
Partially
by Both
Methods.
Fair.
Clean and
Careful.
Dirty and
Improvident
Breast.
74
49
23
2
70
4
13
59
2
-
1901
1
6
33
1
1
1902
40
21
18
37
3
29
3
1903
40
15
22
3
38
2
8
-
145
154
85
63
1
Total
6
9
27
121
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Tubercular Diseases.
The number of deaths due to all forms of tubercular diseases in 1903 was 363, viz., 230
for Bermondsey, 103 for Rotherhithe and 30 for St. Olave's. Of the 363, 221 were due to
phthisis and 142 to " other tubercular diseases." The striking thing about these figures is that
while phthisis shows a decrease from 1902, the figures of other tubercular diseases have
increased from 106 to 141. In 1901 the deaths from this division were 114. I have not the
detailed figures under this heading for the last three years, so am unable to specify the exact
cause of this increase. I purpose remedying this in a future report. Taking the deaths,
however, under this head in the age period under 5,I find that the number of deaths in 1901 was
79 ; 1902, 84 ; and 1903, 115. Since, therefore, abdominal tuberculosis is most common at this
age, these figures are very suggestive of the entrance of the tubercle bacillus along with the food
either in the form of contaminated milk or other food, or from infected houses.
Phthisis.
The number of deaths from phthisis in the Borough in 1903 was 221 —against 239 for the
year previous. Happily there seems to be a steady decline in the deaths due to this cause. This,
no doubt, is to be attributed to the increasing attention paid to the preventive measures which
are gradually being adopted everywhere. The matter is alluded to again under the head of
notification of phthisis : —
Table I. Phthisis.
ST. OLAVE'S
WHOLE BOROUGH.
LONDON.
SUB-DIST.
BERMONDSEY.
ROTHERHITHE.
No.
Rate.
Year.
No.
Rate.
No.
Rate.
No.
Rate.
No.
Rate.
1894
188
2.21
66
1.65
32
2.65
286
2.08
7334
1.69
1895
190
2.22
1.89
32
2.69
298
2.16
7742
1.77
76
292
1896
2.06
90
2.23
26
2.24
2.13
7567
1.68
176
1897
174
271
1.99
7629
1.71
2.05
64
1.60
33
2.94
1898
184
2.19
74
1.87
25
2.31
283
2.10
7746
1.72
1899
183
2.19
75
1.92
28
2.68
286
2.15
8275
1.82
1900
169
2.04
47
1.21
29
2.88
235
1.78
7809
1.71
150
1.82
1.48
19
1.95
226
1.73
7514
1.66
1901
57
1902
55
1.83
7424
1.62
163
1.98
1.43
21
2.22
239
Averages
for years
1894-1902.
175
2.09
67
1.70
27
2.51
2.00
7671
1.71
268
1903
147
1.54
18
7124
1.79
56
1.46
1.96
221
1.70
Alcoholism and Cirrhosis of the Liver.
28 deaths are attributed to these causes, against 33 for 1902. As previously pointed out
this only represents a very small percentage of those whose deaths might be attributed more or
less directly to alcohol.
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