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 1878

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

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Table: Diseases of the epidemic class, which for the most part afflict the young, have at all times engaged the special attention of the sanitarian. I have placed these diseases in a tabular form in order that they should show their comparative fatality during the past and the ten preceding years:—

Diseases of the epidemic class, which for the most part afflict the young, have at all times engaged the special attention of the sanitarian. I have placed these diseases in a tabular form in order that they should show their comparative fatality during the past and the ten preceding years:—

Years.18681869187018711872187318741875187618771878
Small-pox.0106941400214123
Measles92142301120313523
Scarlatina.1429452062332213412
Diphtheria702333460...3
Whooping-cough252991825141517171229
Typhus26171210111062545
Diarrhoea & Cholera28303131392527222418{26 2
Totals10911711917812865105748655103

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In noting the increase in fatality from epidemic
disease during the past year, it should be taken into
consideration that our population is largely augmenting,
and the increase is therefore more apparent than real.
The increase is also among the milder forms of epidemic
disease.
In nearly all my former reports I dwelt particularly
on the two great epochs of human existence-youth and
age. First, children at and under ten years give a
mortality almost equal to one half the total. This sad
fact I have had to record year by year during the last
dozen years.
Again at the opposite extreme of life 134 deaths
occurred at ages ranging from 60 and upwards, the past