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REPORT
on the
SANITARY CONDITION OF SAINT PANCRAS, MIDDLESEX,
DURING OCTOBER, 1857,
by
THOMAS HILLIER, M.D.,
Medical Officer of Health for the Parish of Saint Pancras.
November 16th, 1857.] [No. 19.
TO THE SANITARY COMMITTEE.
Gentlemen-,
During five weeks, ending October 31st, 1857, there were registered
in St. Pancras 318 deaths, which shows an average weekly mortality of 63.6.
In the ten years, 1847-56, the average number of deaths in the corresponding
five weeks was 339.5. So that the mortality now returned is lower than that
of ten previous years, even without any allowance being made for an increase in
population.
Zymotic diseases have been fatal to 75 persons. Measles, Scarlet Eever, and
Hooping Cough have been more fatal than during the months of August and
September. There have been two fatal cases of Small Pox in persons not vaccinated.
Amongst the 13 cases returned by me as scarlet fever are two cases,
one registered "Sore throat, fever," and the other, "Diphtherite of throat and
larynx." It is doubtful whether these were cases of scarlet fever without eruption
or a distinct disease, such as has recently been very fatal in Essex and some
other counties. A man and two children died within a period of 84 hours of a
very virulent form of scarlet fever, in Medburn Street, Somers Town.
Diarrhoea has shown a considerable diminution, causing only six deaths in five
weeks, instead of 18 in the previous four weeks.
Diseases of the organs of respiration have as usual greatly increased with the
change in the weather. In four weeks of September these diseases were only
fatal to 14, whilst in the five weeks just past they were fatal to 63 persons, of
whom 42 were infants under three years of age. From all diseases 147 children
have died under the age of five years.
There is one circumstance which renders the return for this month fallacious
as an indication of the number of persons who have actually died during the
month; it is this,—that the registers for this month contain the records of
scarcely any deaths which have been the subjects of inquests, inasmuch as these
deaths are seldom returned until nearly the end of the quarter. The effect of
this is, that the first month in each quarter appears more healthy, and the last
month more unhealthy, than they really are.
A very lamentable illustration of the bad effects of a defect in drainage has
occurred during the last month in a gentleman's house in Ampthill Square. The
entrance of the drain from this house into the sewer was not furnished with a
trap, and in consequence, until this circumstance was discovered, and a trap
supplied, the house was for several weeks pervaded with a most foul scent of
drainage. Every member of the household (15 in number) was in a depressed
state of health, with disturbance of the bowels, and five cases of typhoid fever
(the kind of fever which usually results from bad drainage) have occurred, of
which one has already proved fatal.
Meteorology.—The highest temperature observed during the five weeks was
70° and the lowest 37°.8. The average temperature was 52°.2, which is about
three degrees above the average of corresponding weeks in previous years.
There have fallen at Greenwich 4.1 inches of rain, of which more than half fell on
Thursday, 22nd October, which is above one-tenth of the average fall of rain
during the entire year.