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 1866
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]
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Prevalence and fatality of Epidemic Diseases.-The deaths which have resulted form the principal Epidemic diseases during the past and ten preceding years, and the relation which they bore to the deaths from all causes, are shewn in the following table:—
| YEARS. | Small Pox | Measles. | Scarlet Fever. | Diphtheria. | Whooping Cough. | Cholera. | Diarrhœa. | Fever— Typhus and Typhoid. | Total Deaths from Epidemics. | Total Deaths from all causes. | Per centage of deaths from Epidemics to deaths from all causes. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1856 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 12 | ... | 4 | 12 | 43 | 314 | 13.6 |
| 1857 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ... | 14 | 11 | 29 | 248 | 11.2 |
| 1858 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 4 | ... | 1 | 7 | 22 | 289 | 7.6 |
| 1859 | 2 | 7 | 43 | 3 | 2 | ... | 3 | 0 | 60 | 311 | 19.2 |
| 1860 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 4 | ... | 4 | 4 | 22 | 308 | 7.1 |
| 1861 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 4 | ... | 8 | 3 | 30 | 246 | 12.1 |
| 1862 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 5 | 11 | ... | 5 | 11 | 62 | 273 | 22.7 |
| 1863 | 8 | 2 | 23 | 1 | 9 | ... | 6 | 13 | 62 | 300 | 20.6 |
| 1864 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | ... | 8 | 13 | 43 | 311 | 13.8 |
| 1865 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | ... | 19 | 18 | 54 | 338 | 15.9 | |
| 1866 | 3 | 23 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 5 | 73 | 351 | 20.7 |
From this Table it is seen that the mortality from Epidemic
diseases during the past year was 75 per cent. greater
than the average, and its proportion to the deaths from
all causes, nearly one-third greater than the average of
the preceding 10 years. This excess was mainly due to
Diarrhoea (including Cholera), which was 3½ times greater
than a similar average, hut partly to a severe epidemic of
Measles, which prevailed extensively throughout the year,
and was almost as fatal as epidemic Diarrhœa. Scarlet
Fever was also very prevalent and attended with considerable
fatality.
Sickness and Mortality amongst the Parochial Poor—
Amount of General Sickness.—Table 5, Appendix, contains
the amount, nature, and fatality of the sickness which
came under treatment during the year. The rate of
mortality was 3 per cent., which is the average of the past
10 year. No comparison of the amount with that of
former years can be properly made, in consequence of the
attendance on the sick poor during the Cholera epidemic,