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

London County Council 1895

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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Table: The number of cases notified and the number of deaths registered from puerperal fever in each of the last five years is as follows—

The number of cases notified and the number of deaths registered from puerperal fever in each of the last five years is as follows—

Cases.Deaths.1
1891221222
1892337313
1893397352
1894253210
1895236208

Table: It these cases and deaths are considered in relation to the total population and total births the following rates are obtained—

It these cases and deaths are considered in relation to the total population and total births the following rates are obtained—

Year.Case rate per 1,000 living.Case rate per 1,000 births.Death rate1 per 1,000 living.Death rate1 per 1,000 births.
1891•051.64•051.65
1892•082.55•072.37
1893•092.98•082.65
1894•061.92•051.60
1895•051.76•051.56

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The case rate per 1,000 living in 1895 shows a slight decline upon the rate of 1894, but the
death rate per 1,000 living in 1895 is the same as in 1894, while the case and death rates per 1,000
births are lower in 1895 than in the preceding year. The decline in the puerperal fever rates has
therefore corresponded with a decline in the rates of erysipelas.
Influenza, Bronchitis and Pneumonia.
Influenza, which had during the preceding three years steadily decreased, in 1895 again
became very prevalent, and as many as 2,156 deaths were attributed directly to this cause in the
registration county of London, this number being only slightly less than the numbers in 1891 and 1892.
The number of deaths attributed to influenza during 1895 was also considerably in excess of the
corrected annual average of the preceding ten years. The greatest number of deaths occurred during
February and March. The deaths from bronchitis were slightly below, and those from pneumonia
slightly above, the corrected average.

Table: The deaths from these diseases since 1889 have been as follows—

The deaths from these diseases since 1889 have been as follows—

Year.Influenza.Bronchitis.Pneumonia.
Deaths.1Corrected annual average for preceding ten years.Deaths.1Corrected annual average for preceding ten years.Deaths.1Corrected annual average for preceding ten years.
18906527.012,44811,342.86,2244,9250
18912,33674.013,13610,887.36,9154,883.0
18922,264318.711,18311,230.06,1645,171.9
18931,526556.210,41311,250.07,1985,341.6
1894750715.57,81611,292.35,3215,632.5
18952,156795.210,63311,167.15,9895,755.7

Table: Influenza in 1895 was especially prevalent in the western districts of the administrative county. The influenza death rate in that year in each of the districts is shown in the following table—Influenza.

Influenza in 1895 was especially prevalent in the western districts of the administrative county. The influenza death rate in that year in each of the districts is shown in the following table—

Influenza.

Sanitary district.Deaths, 1895.Death rate per 1,000 living, 1895.Sanitary district.Deaths, 1895.Death rate per 1,000 living, 1895.
Paddington106.85Bethnal-green29.22
Kensington103.61Whitechapel16.20
Hammersmith48.46St. George-in-the-East14.30
Fulham60.54Limehouse10.17
Chelsea57.59Mile-end Old-town44.40
St. George, Hanover-square60.75Poplar35.21
Westminster20.37St. Saviour, Southwark8.31
St. James9.38St. George, Southwark24.40
Marylebone89.63Newington45.37
Hampstead50.67St. Olave7.59
Pancras98.41Bermondsey28.33
Islington156.47Rotherhithe10.25
Stoke Newington22.66Lambeth143.41
Hackney112.53Battersea88.54
St. Giles32.83Wandsworth121.66
St. Martin-in-the-Fields5.37Camberwell137.54
Strand6.25Greenwich107.61
Holborn18.57Lewisham55.54
Clerkenwell22.33Woolwich12.29
St. Luke5.12Lee491.28
London, City of17.52Plumstead16.27
Shoreditch59.48London2,1682.492

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1See footnote (1), page 10. 2See footnote (2), page 10.