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 1922
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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1922]
28
INQUESTS AND MORTUARY.
During the year 316 bodies were received into the Mortuary, as compared with an
average of 490 in the preceding 10 years.
Only one infectious body was received during the year.
The daily average number of bodies received was 0.9 as compared with 0.8 in 1921.
In 307 cases inquests were held, as contrasted with an average of 370 in the ten years
1912-21.
Bodies received
into Mortuary. Inquests.
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
1921 313 299
Average 490 370
1922 316 307
The following Table gives a return of the bodies received into the Mortuary and the inquests held by the Coroner during the years 1922 and 1921.
| 1922 | No. of bodies received. | Daily Average. | No. of Inquests held. | 1921 | No. of bodies received. | Daily Average. | No. of Inquests held. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Quarter | 103 | 1.1 | 83 | 1st Quarter | 74 | 0.8 | 69 |
| 2nd „ | 81 | 0.9 | 83 | 2nd ,, | 64 | 0.7 | 56 |
| 3rd ,, | 69 | 0.7 | 53 | 3rd „ | 90 | 1.0 | 76 |
| 4th „ | 63 | 0.7 | 88 | 4th ,, | 85 | 0.9 | 98 |
| Total for year | 316 | 0.9 | 307 | Total for year | 313 | 0.8 | 299 |
PREVENTION OF INFECTION.
Notification, Isolation, Fatality, of Specified Diseases under the Provisions
of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
The Principal Diseases Include :
Small Pox, Diphtheria, Scarlet Fever, Enteric Fever, Typhus Fever,
Puerperal Fever and Erysipelas.
There were 2,787 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, Acute Influenzal Pneumonia, Acute Primary Pneumonia, 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 1,557 less than those of the previous year (4,344), and
596 above the average (2191) of the preceding ten years. The largest increases when
contrasted with the decennial averages are to be found in the returns from Diphtheria and
Scarlet Fever which were respectively 376 and 309 in excess, while the other diseases all
showed a decrease.
The 2,787 cases were equal to an attack-rate of 8.34 per 1,000 of the civil population.