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 1906
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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| Cause of death. | Death rate per 1000 living. | |
|---|---|---|
| Council's dwellings. | London. | |
| All Causes—All Ages | 13.7 | 15.1 |
| „ „ age 0—5 | 49.1 | 48.3 |
| ,, ,, ,, 5-20 | 3.5 | 2.6 |
| „ ,, ,, 20 and upwards | 10.0 | 15.2 |
| Diarrhoea | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| Principal Epidemic Diseases (excluding Diarrhoea) | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Phthisis | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| Tuberculous diseases other than Phthisis | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Bronchitis | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Pneumonia | 1.5 | 1.4 |
Common Lodging Houses.
The administration of the Common Lodging Houses Acts devolved upon the Council in 1894.
By the passing of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1902, the Council obtained powers
to license common lodging houses annually. New by-laws governing common lodging houses came into
force on the 1st October, 1903. >
In the following table will be seen the number of houses, the authorised number of ledgers, and the number of convictions, with the penalties inflicted, and other particulars during each year since 1894:—
| Year. | No. of houses on register. | Authorised number of lodgers. | No. of day visits by inspectors. | No. of night visits. | No. of prosecutions. | No. of convictions. | Penalties and costs. £. s. d. | No. of deaths, † | No. of cases of infectious disease. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 | 626 | 29,574 | - | - | 16 | 12 | 37 6 0 | 51 | 99 |
| 1896 | 596 | 29,140 | 28,331 | — | 31 | 30 | 112 16 0 | 65 | 71 |
| 1897 | 581 | 28,718 | 26,121 | — | 31 | 30 | 92 11 0 | 59 | 48 |
| 1898 | 560 | 28,332 | 27,658 | — | 29 | 29 | 167 3 0 | 87 | 44 |
| 1899 | 544 | 28,448 | 28,229 | 1,162 | 25 | 22 | 183 9 0 | 96 | 54 |
| 1900 | 528 | 28,311 | 28,428 | 668 | 16 | 13 | 102 15 0 | 91 | 40 |
| 1901 | 514 | 28,037½1 | 35,225 | 2,13.3 | 16 | 15 | 96 3 0 | 102 | 166 |
| 1902 | 491 | 28.970½* | 40,512 | 1,449 | 22 | 21 | 98 4 0 | 120 | 684 |
| 1903 | 470 | 28,893 | 33,402 | 4,790 | 6 | 6 | 26 11 0 | 98 | 53 |
| 1904 | 451 | 28,896 | 27,501 | 2,970 | 15 | 14 | 62 6 0 | 74 | 66 |
| 1905 | 413 | 27,571 ½* | 28.158 | 1.565 | 21 | 16 | 77 3 0 | 53 | 14 |
| 1906 | 402 | 28,063½* | 30,028 | 2,349 | 4 | 4 | 11 1 0 | 65 | 22 |
In the year 1906, proceedings before the magistrate were instituted in 4 instances, resulting
in 4 convictions, the penalties amounting to £5 12s., with costs amounting to £5 9s.
The number of cases of notifiable infectious disease reported in common lodging houses were as
follows Erysipelas, 8 ; scarlet fever, 6 ; enteric fever, 5 ; diphtheria, 3 ; total, 22.
The following table shows the total number of common lodging houses, and the authorised
accommodation for the different classes of lodgers in the several sanitary areas of London, other than
that of the City of London, on 31st December, 1906 :—
* One child.
† The number of deaths stated in the above table includes only those deaths brought to the knowledge of
the inspectors as actually occurriug in the houses, and not those occurring in infirmaries and other institutions to
which the lodgers were removed when attacked with fatal illness.