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 1872

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]

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Table: Epidemic Diseases—Their prevalence and fatality.— The following table shows the deaths which have resulted from the 7 principal epidemic diseases during the past and ten preceding years, and the relation which they bore to the deaths from all causes.

Epidemic Diseases—Their prevalence and fatality.— The following table shows the deaths which have resulted from the 7 principal epidemic diseases during the past and ten preceding years, and the relation which they bore to the deaths from all causes.

YEARS.Small Pox.Measles.Scarlet Fever.Diphtheria.Whooping Cough.Cholera.Diarrhœa.Fever— Typhus and Typhoid.Total Deaths from Epidemics.Total Deaths from all causes.Percentage of deaths from Epidemics to deaths from all causes.
1861111214...833024612.1
18620282511...5116227322.7
1863822319...6136230020.6
186440369...8134331113.8
186552316...19185433815.9
1866323102571857335120.7
186731716177333329.9
1868085220...2276439416.2
18690233607...2359442921.9
18700248416...331011345025.1
1871143123...11...21310345322.7
1872151313...2044736512.8

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It is very satisfactory to find from the foregoing Table
that the mortality which resulted from these diseases
during the past year has been upwards of one third less
than the average of the preceding ten years, and to have
borne the same diminished relation to the deaths from all
causes. Diarrhœa was the most prevalent and the most
fatal of this class of diseases; it was, however, considerably
less so than it had been for several previous years.
Whooping Cough, which with Diarrhoea was present
during the whole year, was the next most fatal epidemic.
Measles was somewhat prevalent in the summer quarter,
but was attended with but little fatality, and Scarlet
Fever, which during the preceding three years, and
Small Pox during the year 1871, were so extensively
prevalent and fatal, were almost absent, one death only
having been recorded as resulting from each of these
diseases.