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
St George (Southwark) 1865
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark, The Vestry of the Parish of St. George the Martyr]
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13
Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health—1864.
The following Table shows the number of births and deaths in each quarter for the years 1860—1 to 1864—5.
TABLE No. 2.
| 1860—1 | 1861—2 | 1862—3 | 1863—4 | 1864—5 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIRTHS. | DEATHS. | BIRTHS. | DEATHS. | BIRTHS. | DEATHS. | BIRTHS. | DEATHS. | BIRTHS. | DEATHS. | ||
| Quarter ending June | 423 | 298 | 530 | 362 | 546 | 338 | 569 | 405 | 469 | 410 | Births, Total 10170 Deaths, Total 7473 For five years. |
| Quarter ending September | 479 | 276 | 435 | 293 | 484 | 334 | 498 | 373 | 494 | 357 | |
| Quarter ending December | 454 | 302 | 486 | 355 | 520 | 364 | 552 | 404 | 516 | 450 | |
| Quarter ending March | 506 | 360 | 583 | 419 | 524 | 434 | 513 | 507 | 589 | 429 | |
| TOTAL | 1802 | 1239 | 2034 | 1429 | 2074 | 1470 | 2132 | 1689 | 2068 | 1646 | |
The following is a Table in which the number of deaths for the year is given; with the population in each.
TABLE 3.
| SUB-DISTRICTS. | NUMBER OF DEATHS IN 1864-5. | POPULATION IN 1861. |
|---|---|---|
| Kent Road | 469 | 19652 |
| Borough Road | 707 | 16668 |
| London Road | 470 | 19190 |
| Total | 1646 | 65510 |
It will be seen that the Borough Road sub-district with the smallest population has
the largest number of deaths. Part of this excess is owing to the workhouse being placed
within it, to which the sick and dying poor are taken from the other sub-districts. Much,
however, is due to its overcrowded condition.
The subject of over crowding has been so repeatedly brought before you, that I will
only slightly dwell upon it. Its prevalence is only too obvious, as also are the moral and
physical results which follow. The question is,—how is it to be got rid of? This Vestry
has the power to abate overcrowding; but, from the nature of the circumstances, it is useloss.
We cannot turn the people out into the streets : by sending them from one place to
another, comes no good; there remain the same number of persons, and the same limited
income; hence, a room similar to the one left is obtained; to which must be added the