London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Bethnal Green 1866
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green, Parish of St. Matthew ]
This page requires JavaScript
REPORT.
July, 1867.
Gentlemen,—
In presenting my Third Annual Report, it is with extreme
regret I have to inform you that there has been a great increase in the
number of Deaths in this District during the past year. This was mainly
due to the outbreak of Cholera; but not entirely, since, independently of
that disease, our mortality was far greater than the average. The Deaths
from all causes were 2770 in 1865, against 3823 in 1866—increase 1053.
The Deaths from Zymotic Diseases were registered as follows:—
| 1865. | 1866. | |
|---|---|---|
| Fever | 122 | 125 |
| Small Pox | 39 | 155 |
| Measles | 27 | 91 |
| Scarlatina | 145 | 99 |
| Diphtheria | 11 | 12 |
| Diarrhoea | 132 | 182 |
| Cholera | 10 | 612 |
| Whooping Cough | 117 | 169 |
| 603 | 1445 | |
| Increase | 842 | |
It will be seen that, with the exception of Scarlatina, which fell from
145 in 1865 to 99 in 1866—decrease 46—there was an increase in all.
The increase was specially marked in Small Pox, which rose from 39 in
1865 to 155 in 1866—increase 116; if the deaths of patients sent from
this District to the Small Fox Hospital were included, our mortality
would appear still higher.
Small Pox is an eminently preventible disease (thanks to the discovery
of Jenner), and the increase is without doubt attributable to the antipathy