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REPORT
on the
SANITARY CONDITION OF SAINT PANCRAS, MIDDLESEX,
DURING- MAY, 1857,
BY
THOMAS HILLIER, M.D.,
Medical Officer of Health for the Parish of Saint Pancras.
June 9th, 1857.] No. 14.
TO THE SANITARY COMMITTEE.
Gentlemen—
The number of deaths registered in this district during the four weeks
ending on the 30th of May, was 283, distributed over the four weeks as follows:
in the first week 86, in the second 70, in the third 67, and in the fourth 60;
so that each week has had a lower mortality than the one immediately preceding.
The average mortality during the corresponding weeks of the ten years,
1847-1856, was 283.4, which becomes, if corrected for the increase of population,
311.7. So that the present mortality is 10 per cent. below the corrected
average. This improved state of the public health has been noted throughout
the metropolis as a whole in about the same ratio as in this Parish.
Of the zymotic diseases, hooping cough has been again the most fatal,
giving 13 deaths, less however than in the month of April. Scarlatina has been
fatal in only 3 cases; last month (five weeks) in 12 cases. Measles have been
fatal to 6 children. Low fevers have caused 9 deaths. Small pox has been
fatal to one child whose parents would not allow it to be vaccinated. Two other
members of the family, also unvaccinated until the disease was in the house,
have had the disease in a virulent form, but are expected to recover. There
have been 4 deaths from diarrhoea in children. Diseases of the respiratory
organs have been much less fatal than last month, as might be expected since
the weather has been warmer. There have been 47 deaths in four weeks, to be
compared with 80 in five weeks. From tubercular diseases, too, instead of 74
deaths in five weeks, there have been only 48 in four weeks.
In the workhouse there have been 25 deaths, chiefly from chronic diseases.
The general health of the inmates has been good; but as the season advances
diarrhoea is becoming more frequent, but at present in a mild form. There have
been 22 cases this month, whilst last month there was only one. The average
number of inmates in the house during the month was 1,425.
Temperature.—The average of the first week was 6.7° below the average
of corresponding weeks in other years; the second 5.9° above, the third 5.3°
above, and the fourth 1.9° above the several averages of corresponding weeks.
Nine days were colder and nineteen were warmer than usual. The lowest