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 1866
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Parish of St Mary]
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There has been a great deal of small-pox in several parts of the
parish. Altogether, forty-nine cases have been returned to me during
the five weeks. In White Conduit District it commenced in an unvaccinated
family residing next door to a school, and of course spread
extensively and rapidly. I cannot comprehend why the compulsory
clauses of the Vaccination Act, which have been successfully enforced
elsewhere, are not enforced in this Parish. Had this family been
properly vaccinated this outbreak might have been avoided, and lives
now sacrificed might have been saved. No person has a right, either
from indolence, the indulgence of an obstinate temper, or for the
satisfaction of an ignorant prejudice, to imperil the health and lives
of his neighbours, as such of our inhabitants do as refuse to accept
the protection against small-pox which the law providently and inexpensively
offers to them and to their families.
EDWARD BALLARD, M.D.,
Medical Officer of Health.
Vestry Offices,
April 9 th, 1866.
TABLE A.
Shewing the Number of Cases of disease generally, and of Bowel Complaints particularly, recorded in the corresponding month for the last six years ; and also the total of the deaths from all causes, and
from Bowel Complaints.
| March. | Total Sickness. | Total Deaths. | Diarrhoea. | Dysentery. | Cholera. | Bowel Complaints. Total. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases. | Deaths. | Cases. | Deaths. | Cases. | Deaths. | Cases. | Deaths. | |||
| 1866 | 3028 | 452 | 47 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | 47 | 3 |
| 1865 | 2800 | 382 | 47 | 1 | 2 | — | - | — | 49 | 1 |
| 1864 | 2810 | 406 | 59 | 2 | 1 | 3 | - | — | 60 | 5 |
| 1863 | 2926 | 422 | 52 | 3 | 2 | — | - | — | 54 | 3 |
| 1862 | 2651 | 285 | 54 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | — | 56 | 4 |
| 1861 | 2457 | 260 | 65 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | — | 68 | 3 |
| 1860 | 3052 | 309 | 52 | 3 | 3 | — | - | — | 55 | 3 |
TABLE B.
Results of a Special Analysis of the Water supplied by the Metropolitan Water Companies during March, as made and published by the Metropolitan Association of Medical Officers of Health.
| Total solid matter per Imperial gallon. | Loss by Ignition. | Oxydisable Organic Matter. | Hardness. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before Boiling. | After Boiling. | |||||
| Thames Water Companies. Grand Junction | grains. | grains. | grains. | degrees. | degrees. | |
| West Middlesex | 20.25 | 0.86 | 0.48 | 13.6 | 3.5 | |
| Southwark and Vauxhall | 20.72 | 1.01 | 0.49 | 14.1 | 4.0 | |
| Chelsea | 19.99 | 0.94 | 0.41 | 12.8 | 4.0 | |
| Lambeth | 20.29 | 1.01 | 0.56 | 13.7 | 3.1 | |
| Other Companies. Kent | 24.78 | 1.11 | 0.05 | 18.6 | 7.0 | |
| New River | 21.44 | 1.29 | 0.24 | 15.8 | 6.8 | |
| East London | 23.25 | 1.14 | 0.41 | 16.5 | 4.5 | |