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

St Pancras 1860

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, Metropolitan Borough]

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Table: Table I. gives a detailed account of the causes of death at different ages throughout the parish. From this table I have made the following abstract, classified according to the plan adopted by the Begistrar-General:—

Table I. gives a detailed account of the causes of death at different ages throughout the parish. From this table I have made the following abstract, classified according to the plan adopted by the Begistrar-General:—

I. Ztmotic Diseases.Deaths.
1 Miasmatic660
2 Enthetio39
3 Dietic31
4 Parasitic8
II. Constitutional Diseases.
1 Diathetic144
2 Tubercular and Rickety740
III. Local Diseases.
1 Diseases of the Nervous System486
2 Diseases of the Vascular System233
3 Diseases of the Respiratory System890
4 Diseases of the Digestive System180
5 Diseases of the Urinary Organs74
6 Diseases of the Organs of Generation13
7 Diseases of the Organs of Locomotion9
8 Diseases of the Skin12
IV. Developmental Diseases.
1 Malformations and Developmental Diseases of Children121
2 Developmental Diseases of Adults20
3 Developmental Diseases of old people216
4 Diseases of Nutrition189
Y. Violent Deaths.
1 Accidental or from negligence108
2 Homicide14
3 Suicide18
4 Other violent deaths1
VI. Causes mot specified28
Total4234

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Some of these diseases are of course entirely beyond the power of human
arrangements to prevent, whilst others may, to a great extent, be prevented by
an observance of the laws which are classed under the head of sanitary measures.
The Miasmatic diseases from which there were 660 deaths, including Measles,
Scarlet Fever, Small Pox, Hooping Cough, and Diarrhoea are much affected in
their frequency and seriousness by sanitary appliances.
There is no doubt that Tubercular diseases which caused 740 deaths, may be
reduced in number to one-half by a good supply of pure air and proper food.
The Nervous diseases of children are also very much dependent on impure air;
these caused last year 288 deaths.
The violent deaths numbered 141; of these 18 were suicidal, of which 2
were by gun or pistol shot, 2 by cutting the throat, 5 by poison, 5 by drowning,
and 3 by hanging. From accident or negligence there were 108 deaths; 44
from fractures, S from cuts or stabs, 23 from burns (15 of these being children),
2 from poison, 6 from drowning, 23 from suffocation (all children and chiefly
in bed).