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
City of London 1901
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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ARTIZANS' DWELLINGS, STONEY LANE. Vital Statistics 1901, compared with previous five years.
| YEAR. | Death rate per 1,000. | Deaths of children under 5 years of age. | Deaths of children under 5 years of age per 1,000 births. | Birth rate per 1,000. | Number of illegitimate children born in the Buildings. | Deaths from Infectious Diseases. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 11.2 | Per cent. 60.0 | 40 | 46.9 | Nil. | 2 (Measles) | ||||||
| 1897 | 16.9 | 27.8 | 93 | 40.3 | Nil. | 2 | ||||||
| 1898 | 8.4 | 66.6 | 65 | 43.1 | 1* | 1 (Measles) | ||||||
| 1899 | 15.0 | 18.8 | 75 | 37.5 | Nil. | 1(Whooping Cough) | ||||||
| 1900 | 17.8 | 52.6 | 146 | 38.4 | Nil. | 1 (Scarlet Fever) | ||||||
| Average for previous five years. | 13.8 | 45.1 | 84 | 41.2 | — | 1.4 | ||||||
| 1901 | 14.2 | 53.8 | 226 | 33.8 | Nil. | 1 (Puerperal (Septicaemia) | ||||||
| * The mother is reported to have been of weak intellect, and a mere child. | ||||||||||||
| 1901. | NAME OF BLOCK. | |||||||||||
| North. | South. | King's- | Queen's. | Prince's. | Total. | |||||||
| Number of Births | 11 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 31 | ||||||
| Number of Deaths | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 13 | ||||||
| Deaths of Children under five years of age | 1 | 3 | — | 2 | 1 | 7 | ||||||
| Deaths of Children under one year of age | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 5 | ||||||
| Number of illegitimate Children born | Nil. | |||||||||||
| Deaths from Infectious Diseases | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | ||||||
Your Medical Officer reported on several serious sanitary defects in
connection with these dwellings.
At the time these were erected, nearly twenty years ago, the sanitary fittings
were of the most approved type at that day, but during the period that has
elapsed much experience has been gained, and the fittings now in use have
become obsolete and unfitted for the purpose.
They are insanitary in themselves, and it is, moreover, impossible to keep
them clean and in decent condition.
It has been decided to remove all the existing water-closets, and replace
them by others of a modern pattern.
There is, further, no provision for baths—a most serious defect. People
of the class inhabiting these dwellings should certainly have every
inducement to keep themselves clean, and while it is not needful to supply
every flat with a bath (which would practically mean rebuilding), it is
perfectly feasible to supply a certain number of baths, to be under the charge
of an attendant, and available for each family in rotation. Plans have been
prepared by the Engineer, approved by the Committee, and are now before
the Court for sanction.