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 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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99
1913
has been almost continuous, both among men and women. Among the
diseases which may be reasonably attributed to the immoderate use of alcohol
are some affecting the liver and kidneys, cancer of the stomach and
aesophagus, cerebral hæmorrhage and thrombosis, gastric catarrh, hæmaturia,
deafness, congenital deafness in children, insanity, paralysis and other
nervine complaints, and it also affects the embryonic child in the womb. It,
too, is the cause of innumerable accidents and crimes, as well as of pauperism.
Hence, although the direct mortality ascribed to alcoholism is small, yet its
effects are many and wide-spread.
The number of deaths during each year since 1901 is as follows :—
| Acute. | Chronic. | Total. | Males. | Females. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 27 | 27 | 7 | 20 | |
| 1902 | 9 | 29 | 38 | 20 | 18 |
| 1903 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 13 | 13 |
| 1904 | 4 | 18 | 22 | 12 | 10 |
| 1905 | 4 | 21 | 25 | 9 | l6 |
| 1906 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 5 | 11 |
| 1907 | 4 | 24 | 28 | 10 | 18 |
| 1908 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 8 | 9 |
| 1909 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 12 | 6 |
| 1910 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 5 |
| 1911 | - | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 1912 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 6 |
| *9*3 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| 253 | 114 | 139 | |||
VENEREAL DISEASES.
The two diseases of most interest under this heading are Syphilis and
Gonorrhoea, which conjointly caused 19 deaths during the year. Of these,
12 were infants under a year old, while seven were adults. It is, therefore,
apparent that they are diseases which can be conveyed to the progeny, either
in the case of syphilis while the child is still in its mother's womb, or by
infection conveyed to it after birth.
Gonorrhoea is the frequent cause of the ophthalmia of infants, and is the
chief source of blindness among them; and it was to counteract such a
result that Ophthalmia Neonatorum was made compulsorily notifiable by the
Ophthalmia Neonatorum Order of the Local Government Board. This
Order, it is well to note, is doing exceedingly good work in this country, and
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