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 1908
Report on the public health of Finsbury 1908 including annual report on factories and workshops
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53
The temperature of the soil varies with that of the air, but is
always some days behind in a rise or a fall. Temperatures taken
four feet below the earth surface show the variations markedly,
and it has been found that a high four-foot earth temperature is
practically always associated with a high diarrhoea death rate. Both
are highest in the third quarter of the year, and the following
table, which shows the numbers of deaths, the four-foot temperature,
and the rainfall in this quarter, each year since 1901, is interesting
in this connection :—
Third Quarter
Year.
No. of Deaths
from
Epidemic Diarrhœa.
Mean Temp.
4-ft. earth
thermometer.
Rainfall.
1901 93 61.7° F. 4.63
1902 61 57.5° F. 6.02
1903 58 58.1° F. 15.56
1904 95 59.1° F. 4.88
1905 65 59.8° F. 5.45
1906 100 59.4° F. 3.78
1907 17 57.2° F. 3.77
1908 64 59.1 F. 8.16
Both are highest in the third quarter of the year, and the following table, which shows the numbers of deaths, the four-foot temperature, and the rainfall in this quarter, each year since 1901, is interesting in this connection:—
| Third Quarter Year. | No. of Deaths from Epidemic Diarrhœa. | Mean Temp. 4-ft. earth thermometer. | Rainfall. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 93 | 61.7° F. | 4.63 |
| 1902 | 61 | 57.5° F. | 6 .02 |
| 1903 | 58 | 58.1° F. | 15.56 |
| 1904 | 95 | 59.1° F. | 4.88 |
| 1905 | 65 | 59.8° F. | 5.45 |
| 1906 | 100 | 59.4° F. | 3.78 |
| 1907 | 17 | 57.2° F. | 3.77 |
| 1908 | 64 | 59.1 F. | 8.16 |
The following table shows the relationship between these deaths, the temperature, and the rainfall, in the third quarter of 1908 :—
| Summer Quarter, 1908. | July. | August. | September. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates of months (in weeks). | June 28 to July 4 | 5-11 | 12-18 | 19-25 | July 26 to Aug. 1 | 2-8 | 9-15 | 16-22 | 23-29 | Aug. 30 to Sept. 5 | 6-12 | 13-19 | 20-26 |
| Mean temperature, four-foot thermometer. (Average 59.10 F.) | 57.1 | 58.5 | 58.9 | 58.9 | 59.5 | 60.6 | 61.0 | 60.4 | 60.3 | 59.6 | 58.4 | 57.7 | 57.7 |
| Rainfall (Total (8.15in.) | 0.54 | 0.35 | 2.76 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.07 | 0.22 | 0.61 | 1.99 | 1.35 | 0.03 | 0.11 | 0.11 |
| No. of deaths from Epidemic Diarrhœa, (Total 64.) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 4 |