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
Hanover Square 1873
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hanover Square, The Vestry of the Parish of Saint George]
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exactly 90,000,—so that the gross death-rate was 18.62,
and the death-rate of parishioners only 16.15 per 1,000 per
annum,—a very remarkably low rate indeed.
If we now take the separate quarters, we find that, on the above-mentioned mean population, the death-rates varied approximately as follows:—
| Gross Death-Rate. | Death-Rate of Parishioners. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Quarter | 21.3 | 18.5 |
| 2nd Quarter | 16.9 | 14.7 |
| 3rd Quarter | 16.2 | 13.4 |
| 4th Quarter | 20.1 | 18.0 |
So that, during the quarter ending December 28th, 1872,
the rate among parishioners was less than 13½per thousand
per annum, while for a whole half-year, viz., from July to
December 1872 (inclusive), the rate was only just over 14.
Again, leaving out of consideration the deaths in St.
George's Hospital and in the Workhouses, the rates for the
Sub-Districts were—for Hanover Square, 15.13; for May
Fair, 10.3; and for Belgravia, 15.9; while, if we include
the deaths of parishioners in St. George's Hospital with
those in Belgravia, the rate for this Sub-District is 17.24.
It is clear, then, that the year has been still more exceptionally
healthy than the previous one, and it will be interesting
for us to examine, as far as we are able, the conditions
under which deaths have taken place during such a period.
(I may note here that I do not insert in the tables the
totals of deaths under the different Classes of diseases, but
only under the different Orders. The tables are less complicated;
and I consider, moreover, that no advantage is
gained by grouping the Orders together, while, in some
cases, a confusion is introduced.)