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
Wandsworth 1857
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]
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had much to do with the reduction in the number of fatal cases of
epidemic diseases so greatly below the rate of the previous year; but
something, it is considered, may be very fairly placed to the credit of
sanitary improvements when it can be shown that, in all but one of the
parishes of which the Wandsworth District is composed, a somewhat
considerable decrease in the number of deaths resulting from the principal
zymotic diseases has followed the execution of the measures
emanating from the Board in the interval between the periods referred
to. This fact will, perhaps, be more clearly shown in the following
table.
Table showing the Number of Fatal Cases resulting from Six of the Principal Zymotic Diseases in each sub-district during the corresponding December Quarters of 1856 and 1857.
| Zymotic Diseases. | Clapham. Battersea. | Wandsworth | Putney. | Streatham, including Tooting and Balham. | Totals. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. Quarter 1856. | Dec. Quarter 1857. | Dec. Quarter 1856. | Dec. Quarter 1857. 1 | Dec. Quarter 1856. | Dec. Quaitcr 1857. | Dec. Quarter 1850. | Dec. Quarter 1 1857. | | Dec. Quarter 1856. | Dec. Quarter 1857. | 1856. | 1857. | |
| Small Pox | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Measles | 4 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — |
| Scarlet Fever | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | -— | — | — | 1 | 8 | 3 |
| Hooping Cough | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 12 | 5 |
| Diarrhæa | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| Fever | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 7 |
| Totals | 12 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 41 | 24 |
It is worthy of remark, that in most of the sub-districts where
zymotic diseases have manifested themselves, they have proved more
severe and more fatal in just those localities which seem destined to
remain unhealthy by reason of the legal difficulties experienced in
enforcing the execution of efficient sanitary measures in respect to
property considered not to come within the jurisdiction, or sanitary
supervision; of the Board, and where, consequently, suggested works
of improvement stand but a slight chance of being carried out at present
in a way to prevent the recurrencc of such preventible diseases