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REPORT
on the
SANITARY CONDITION OF SAINT PANCRAS, MIDDLESEX,
DURING NOVEMBER, 1857,
by
THOMAS HILLIER, M.D.,
Medical Officer of Health for the Parish of Saint Pancras.
December 8th, 1857.] [No. 20.
TO THE SANITARY COMMITTEE.
Gentlemen,
The number of deaths registered during the four weeks of November
amounted to 333, giving an average weekly mortality of 83.25. Last month
the weekly average was only 63.6.
In the corresponding weeks of the ten immediately preceding years, the
average mortality was 296.5, which gives, when a correction is made for the
increase of population, 326; so that, although the present return exhibits a very
great increase of mortality since last month, yet it is not very much above the
corrected average of previous years.
Zymotic diseases have been fatal to 66 persons. Measles, Scarlatina, Typhus,
and Hooping Cough have been fatal to about the same degree as in October.
There have been no deaths from Small Pox. There have been six deaths from
Diarrhoea. Tubercular diseases have been fatal in 39 cases.
The increase in mortality observed this month has been in a great measure
due to the deaths from diseases of the lungs and respiratory organs. There have
been 88 deaths from such diseases in four weeks, instead of 63 in five weeks,
that is to say, a weekly mortality of 22 instead of 12.5 There has also been an
increase in the mortality from old age, 28 having died instead of 15. These
facts are to a great extent explicable by the change in the weather.
Meteorology.—The highest temperature was on the 3rd 46°.3, and the
lowest on the 10th 30o.0. The average temperature was 46°.2, which is 2°.8
above the average of the season.
The wind with few exceptions has been North or East, or between the two;
and the atmosphere has been exceedingly damp. It is the combination of
dampness with cold that has probably caused so many pulmonary affections.
Only one death has been registered under the head of Influenza, but there is
reason to believe that some of those given under Bronchitis might fairly have
been ascribed to Influenza. There is no doubt that the disease has been and is
very prevalent; but there is frequently much difficulty in determining whether
a case is merely a severe Catarrh and Bronchitis, or real Influenza; and some
Medical men scarcely ever use the latter term. From what I have been able to
learn, there has not been so much debility during the attacks this season as is
usually observed with this disease.
Amongst children under five years there have been 133 deaths, a rather
smaller proportion than usual; above the age of 60, there have been 99 deaths,
which is considerably above the average.
Scarlet Fever of a very virulent description has occurred in and near George
Street, Hampstead Road. In two families living in two houses, there were
within a fortnight seven deaths from this disease. These cases are only two of
them registered on the accompanying tables; they will be given on the weekly
register supplied to me this week.
I have visited the houses in which these deaths occurred, and although their
sanitary state admits of improvement, I cannot ascribe the fatality of the disease