View report page

REPORT
ON THE
SANITARY CONDITION OF ST. MAM, ISLINGTON,
FOR SEPTEMBER, 1868.
No. CXXXYII.
The mortality of the Parish during the five weeks ending September
26th—namely, 362 deaths—has been rather below the corrected mean
mortality of the corresponding period during the last ten years (370
deaths). The most remarkable mortality has taken place among persons
advanced in years, and persons who have been suffering from phthisis.
The latter have appeared to be benefitted by the weather of July and
August, but have succumbed under the atmospheric changes of the
past month.
The mean temperature of the air has been above the average every
week except the first. In the second and third weeks it was more than
six degrees above the average; and the weather, after the considerable
rains in the middle of August, again became dry. All this was prejudicial
to public health, and we find accordingly that our Sickness table
exhibits an unusually large number of new cases of disease, namely,
3887 cases, nearly 400 more than occurred among the same sort of
population in September last year. I have especially to note as respects
the Sickness, (1) that small-pox has, during the last two months, undergone
a remarkable diminution among us. (2). That scarlet fever,
which has been increasing a good deal in other parts of London,
especially in the Western districts, St. Pancras, and Clerkenwell, has
not been increasing yet similarly with us, although my tables, carried
on for many years now, show that it is in September that our largest
number of cases usually occurs. (3). That we have this month
registered by far the largest number of cases of erysipelas and sore
throat (probably erysipelatous) that I have ever noted in September.
The cases of erysipelas have been 23, and of sorethroat 135. I have
never registered more than 18 cases of the former, and 88 of the latter
disease. (4). Bronchitic and catarrhal diseases, with pneumonia and
pleurisy, have all been unusually frequent.