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
Islington 1921
Sixty-sixth annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington
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17 [1921
INQUESTS AND MORTUARY.
During the year 313 bodies were received into the Mortuary, as compared with an
average of 523 in the preceding 10 years. The return is the lowest since the opening of the
building in 1874.
Four infectious bodies were received during the year.
The daily average number of bodies received was 0.8 as compared with 0.9 in 1920.
In 299 cases inquests were held, as contrasted with an average of 383 in the ten years 1911-20.
| Bodies received into Mortuary. | Inquests. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 646 | 425 |
| 1912 | 634 | 443 |
| 1913 | 575 | 384 |
| 1914 | 537 | 369 |
| 1915 | 612 | 475 |
| 1916 | 507 | 394 |
| 1917 | 479 | 359 |
| 1918 | 476 | 348 |
| 1919 | 429 | 321 |
| 1920 | 340 | 312 |
| Average | 523 | 383 |
The following Table gives a return of the bodies received into the Mortuary and the inquests held by the Coroner during the years 1921 and 1920.
| 1920 | No. of bodies received. | Daily Average. | No. of Inquests held. | 1921 | No. of bodies received. | Daily Average. | No. of Inquests held. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Quarter | 98 | 1.0 | 82 | 1st Quarter | 74 | 0.8 | 69 |
| 2nd „ | 82 | 0.9 | 76 | 2nd „ | 64 | 0.7 | 56 |
| 3rd ,, | 81 | 0.9 | 74 | 3rd „ | 90 | 1.0 | 76 |
| 4th „ | 79 | 0.8 | 80 | 4th „ | 85 | 0.9 | 98 |
| Total for year | 340 | 0.9 | 312 | Total for year | 313 | 0.8 | 299 |
THE NOTIFICATION, ISOLATION, FATALITY,
and
PREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Under the Provisions of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
The Principal Diseases Comprise :
Small Pox, Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, Membranous Croup, Enteric Fever,
Typhus Fever, Continued Fever, Erysipelas and Puerperal Fever.
There were 4,344 cases of the diseases which are notifiable under the Public Health
London) Act, 1891, in addition to which there were other communicable ailments, such
as Tuberculosis, Ophthalmia Neonatorum, Acute Poliomyelitis, Cerebro-Spinal Fever,
Encephalitis Lethargica, Measles, Malaria and Dysentery, which are notifiable either
under Orders of the late Local Government Board, or of the London County Council with
the approval of that Board.
The total cases notified are 1,491 above those of the previous year (2,853), and 2,411
more than the average of the preceding ten years. The largest increases when contrasted
with the decennial averages are to be found in the returns from Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria,
which were respectively 1,616 and 893 in excess, while Puerperal Fever cases were 14 above
the average. The other diseases all showed a decrease.