London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Wandsworth 1874

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

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GG
many as 829 cases of sickness, &c., recorded in the
Medical Relief Book of this Parish, of which 60 ended
fatally (13.8 per cent.) This is by no means a large per
cent age, seeing what an inclement and sickly season has
been passed through. The principal diseases treated
amongst this class during the year were Measles, Scarlatina,
"Whooping-cough, Diarrhoea, Fever, Diseases of the Lungs,
and a rather unusual number of cases of Phthisis, as well
as of maladies peculiar to young children, which are noted
in the table under the heading of "Hydrocephalus, Atrophy,
Scrofula, and Convulsions."
Inquests.— Violent, Sudden, and Uncertified Deaths.
—Of the 16 inquests held in this Parish during the past
year, one was a case of child-murder, two of suicide, and
five of accidental death. The remaining inquiries were
held on persons whose deaths were obscure from their
suddenness, but chiefly supposed to have been caused by
natural disease, such as heart disease, &c, The evidence,
in the case of one infant found dead, appears to have been
of the usual meagre description, so as to leave the actual
cause of death very doubtful.
There were five cases of uncertified deaths, or of death
and burial taking place without the cause being attested
by medical certificate. One of these deaths was that of a
man said to have died from lung disease, but of which
there was no actual proof; and there were four infants, at
and under one year of age, who had not been medically
treated by any qualified practitioner, and the cause of whose
deaths could have been only surmised.
Sanitation of the Year.—The amount of sanitary
work accomplished during the year will be best understood
by a perusal of table VI. in the Appendix. In the column
of this table devoted to Clap ham, it will be found that
1000 houses and premises were thoroughly inspected
by the Surveyor and myself, and that, owing to