London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Islington 1866

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Parish of St Mary]

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2
Four thousand one hundred and fourteen cases of disease have been
treated at the various public institutions for the medical relief of the
poor —the largest number hitherto treated in any August for ten years
past being 2722 cases in August, 1863. Here again we find the amount
swollen, not only by an excessive number of diarrhceal and choleraic affections,
but by an unusual number of cases of small-pox, measles, ague,
and (let it be remarked also) of chest diseases. The last fact is important,
inasmuch as in ordinary seasons an excess of diarrhœa is associated with
a small amount of chest disease.
But the chief event of the month has been the outbreak of cholera
and its associated epidemic diarrhoea. Altogether there have been
reported to me up to Saturday, the 25th of August, 56 cases of cholera,
(including 7 cases in the practice of private practitioners) of which, up
to the present time, 34 have died; 133 cases of the milder disease
which passes under the term "choleraic diarrhœa," of which 6 died;
and 1665 cases of diarrhoea. Indeed there is a large additional number
of cases of diarrhoea which were not entered in the books of the
Holloway and Islington Dispensaries, but which applied there for
medicine, all probably mild cases yet in the former institution counting
by hundreds. Making then every allowance for mild cases, which
probably in another season we should have heard nothing about, there
can be no question that, together with cholera and choleraic diarrhoea,
simple diarrhoea has prevailed also to a very unusual extent. Happily
and, I think, not fortuitously, cholera has not prevailed with us, either
to the same extent as in other less favoured parishes, nor yet to anything
like the extent of former epidemic visitations. It is too early at
present to congratulate ourselves, although the fact is thus far a ground
for thankfulness. The worst of the outbreak in London appears to have
passed, but yet the disease lingers as if loth to depart from the metropolis.
We are not even now safe, although we have reason to be
hopeful. The weekly progress of the disease and its allied affections
during the four weeks has been as follows:—

Week ending—

CASES.Aug. 4.Aug. 11.Aug. 18.Aug. 25.Total.
Cholera3696556
Choleraic diarrhoea41332633133
Diarrhœa and dysentery2034675524431665