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) 1872
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark, The Vestry of the Parish of St. George the Martyr]
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10 Parish of St. George the Martyr, Southwark.
Out of the 1,444 deaths thirty-two were attributed to premature birth and debility
Seven infants, their ages ranging from sixteen days to three months, were accidently suffocated.
A girl, aged seven years, was burnt to death. Two males died from injury to the
head ; one by falling from a cart, the cause of the other was not discovered. A male child,
aged one year, died from the effects of a scald. A male, aged fifty-seven years, committed
suicide, by blowing out his brains.
The deaths under five years of age were 829, at 40 to 80 years 341, and 29 at 80 years
of age and upwards. The united ages of three of the deaths amounted to 270 years.
| NAME OF WATER COMPANY. | TONS. | NAME OF WATER COMPANY- | TONS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1871. | 1871. | ||
| Southwark Company—April | 28 | Lambeth Company—April\ | |
| „ „ May | 29 | „ „ May | 29 |
| „ ,, June | 26 | „ „ June | |
| 25 | „ „ July | 26 | |
| „ „ August | 26 | ,, ,, August | 26 |
| „ „ September | 24 | ,, ,, September | 25 |
| „ „ October | 28 | ,, ,, October | 27 |
| ,, ,, November | 29 | ,, ,, November | 30 |
| ,, „ December | 30 | „ „ December | 30 |
| 1872. | 1872. | ||
| „ „ January | 29 | ,, ,, January | 28 |
| ,, ,, February | 30 | „ „ February | 31 |
| ,, „ March | 31 | „ „ March | 81 |
The condition of the water lately supplied to us, has given rise to considerable animadversion
; certainly it has not been such as the health and comfort of a people require. The
Chemical Reports on the London Waters, published by the Registrar General, have been
declared to be sensational and worthless. When chemists themselves disagree, who may
decide ? One chemist prefers a mode of analysis, which another chemist asserts to be unreliable.
The duty of the Public Analyst is not enviable, as he must, if truthful in his
Reports, often run counter to the interest of the Water Companies, who will take care he
does not escape criticism.
Two reasons have been given for the impure condition of the water distributed to us.
It seems that some of the Companies have lately been engaged in improving their works,
and had not sufficient room for storage of water, hence they had to hurry on the filtration,
which consequently was imperfectly done: and then there were heavy floods, with which
we have been visited, which gave rise to the turbidity of the water. Major Bolton, R.E ,
Water Examiner to the Board of Trade, agrees with the Royal Commission on the Supply
of Water to the Metropolis, that the Thames is a suitable source from whence to take our
water supply, if only properly filtered. This he intends, as far as his powers will permit
him, to see thoroughly carried out. If then the water should not prove of sufficient purity,
the Board of Trade will have to interfere.
* The tons figured, are so many tons of imparity in 100,000 tons of water.