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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69
It may here be observed that in respect to Small Pox
there can be but little doubt the practice of vaccination,
under the new law, will be followed by excellent results in
the future in warding off invasions of this terrible disease.
But very few, if any, infants born in this parish are now
found to escape the operation, and the exertions of the
active Vaccination Officer, whose duty it is to see that the
provisions of the Act are duly complied with in every case,
cannot be too highly commended.
It will be seen by the following table that the per centage of deaths due to the seven principal diseases of the Zymotic class to those occurring from all causes, is much below what it was in 1871, and below even the average of the preceding ten years.
| YEARS. | Number of Deaths from all Causes. | No. of Deaths from Seven of the principal Epidemic Diseases. | Percentage of Deaths from seven principal Epidemics to Deaths from all causes. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1863 | 129 | 29 | 22.4 |
| 1864 | 121 | 11 | 9.0 |
| 1865 | 115 | 11 | 9.5 |
| 1866 | 121 | 16 | 13.2 |
| 1867 | 128 | 20 | 15.6 |
| 1868 | 118 | 14 | 11.8 |
| 1869 | 133 | 31 | 23.3 |
| 1870 | 145 | 19 | 12.4 |
| 1871 | 151 | 32 | 21.4 |
| 1872 | 144 | 20 | 14.0 |
Concerning the deaths that have resulted from ordinary
diseases (non-Zymotic) little need be said in this place,
since the Mortality Table will show, at a glance, not only
what diseases of this class have proved most fatal during
the year, but the relative mortality amongst the different
classes of inhabitants, their ages at death, social position, &c.