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 1912
Annual report on the public health of Finsbury for the year 1912
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102
Enquiry was made into the length of residence of each case in
the Borough, and as to the duration of the disease. Adopting
the classification indicated in an earlier part of this report, it
was found that out of 160 deaths, 108 patients were Finsbury
cases by residence and infection, that is, they had lived in the
Borough for five years, and had presumably been infected with
the disease since their arrival in Finsbury. Fourteen patients
had lived in the Borough less than five years, but had been infected
since they had come to reside in the district, that is to
say, they were Finsbury cases by infection, and not by residence.
Twenty-five persons were considered on this basis to be not
Finsbury cases, that is, they had definite signs of phthisis when
they came into the Borough, and had not lived here five years.
Three were Finsbury cases by residence—that is, they had
lived here for 5 years, although there was reason to believe that
they had phthisis before coming to Finsbury.
In 10 instances very little information could be obtained, the
addresses were false ones, or the patient came from common
lodging houses, or had been removed to asylums or poor law
infirmaries many years ago, and their relatives had died or had
removed, so that the available knowledge was scanty.
If we include only the Finsbury cases by infection, and by
residence and infection, these amount to 122; adding in the
deaths in Finsbury common lodging houses and the doubtful
Finsbury cases, gives a total of 132 deaths, which may reasonably
be associated with the Borough, and a corresponding death
rate from phthisis of 1.49 per thousand inhabitants.
Of the whole number of deaths in Finsbury in 1912, 10 per
cent. were due to phthisis, as against 9.3 and 10 per cent. in 1911
and 1910 respectively. Four-fifths of the deaths due to phthisis
took place between 25 and 65 years, the period of maximum
working efficiency in men—the "working life" period when their
earnings are most needed and their usefulness greatest.
Seventy-one died in the poor law institutions.