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 1858
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Parish of St Mary]
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two deaths from small pox occurred in young children who are reported to
have been "vaccinated." It is by no means rare for the uneducated to rest
satisfied with the mere performance of the operation, and to be careless as to
the result. Parents should understand that a child cannot be regarded as
exempt from the infection of this loathsome disease, unless at least three or
four pocks be produced by the operation, and be certified as satisfactory in
their character by a qualified medical gentleman.
The succeeding Table is a continuation of that in last month's report:—
| Mean Temperature (Greenwich.) | Parish cases of Diarrhcea & Cholera. | Deaths from Diarrhoea and Cholera | Parish Cases of Fever. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1856. | 1857- | 1858. | 1856. | 1857. | 1858. | 1856. | 1857. | 1858. | 1856. | 1857. | 1858. | |
| 1st Week of Month . | .59.2° | 59.6° | 55.9° | 19 | 34 | 22 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2nd | 57.6° | 68.0° | 66.4° | 25 | 38 | 30 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 3rd | 60.1° | 68,3° | 62.9° | 20 | 94 | 27 | 4 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| 4th | 64.2° | 65.6° | 59.6° | 31 | 88 | 29 | 3 | 20 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Total | mean 60.2° | mean 65.3° | mean 61.2° | 95 | 254 | 108 | 10 | 54 | 30 | 8 | 23 | 3 |
Eight hundred and thirty-five new cases of disease have been entered on
the books of the Parochial Surgeons ; the mean of the corresponding week of
the last two years being 820. The cases of disease of the zymotic class have
been much less numerous than last year, viz. :—213 against 329. Diarrhcea
has made but little progress; and both measles and hoopig-cough have
abated. The number of cases of diarrhcea has been only 108 against 253 in
1857, and 95 in 1856. Only 3 cases of typhus came under observation: the
number in July last year was 23, and in 1856 it was 8.
EDWARD BALLARD, M.D.,
Medical Officer of Health.
42, Myddelton Square,
August 4th 1858.