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
Bethnal Green 1867
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green, Parish of St. Matthew ]
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Deaths.—The total number of deaths (including the Insane) during the year was— 141 Males, and 145 Females. The age, length of time in the Infirmary, and cause of death, will be seen in the appended Tables:—
| Infirmities of Age | 62 | Scirrhus | Sloughing Ulcers | 1 | |||||
| Asthma | 21 | Senile Gangrene | 2 | Convulsions | 5 | ||||
| Bronchitis | 10 | Abscess, Hip | 1 | Marasmus | 10 | ||||
| Phthisis | 72 | Do., Chronic | 1 | Premature Birth | 6 | ||||
| Pneumonia | 8 | Diseased Kidneys | 5 | Childbirth | 1 | ||||
| Disease of the Heart | 6 | Jaundice | 3 | Pertussis | 8 | ||||
| Do. of Liver | 9 | Pleurisy | 1 | Cancer of Mouth | 1 | ||||
| Paralysis | 12 | Puerperal Peritonitis | 1 | Intussusception of the Bowels | 2 | ||||
| Apoplexy, Serous | 3 | Low Fever | 3 | ||||||
| Do., Sanguineous | 8 | Epilepsy | 1 | Dying on Admission | 6 | ||||
| Acute Rheumatism | 2 | Diarrhœa | 4 | —- | |||||
| Chronic do. | 2 | Softening of Brain | 1 | 286 | |||||
| Erysipelas | 3 | Delirium Tremens | 1 | ||||||
| Ages at Death. | Length of Time in Infirmary. | ||||||||
| Over 90 | 1 | 1 | 9 years. | 17 | 3 weeks. | ||||
| At 80, and under 90 | 28 | 2 | 7 „ | 27 | 2 „ | ||||
| 3 | 6 „ | 17 | 1 „ | ||||||
| 70, „ 80 | 54 | 6 | 5 „ | 3 | 6 days. | ||||
| 60, „ 70 | 60 | 6 | 3 „ | 6 | 5 „ | ||||
| 50, „ 60 | 22 | 12 | 2 „ | 9 | 4„ | ||||
| 20 | 1 „ | 9 | 3 „ | ||||||
| 40, „ 50 | 29 | 2 | 11 mnths. | 6 | 2 „ | ||||
| 30, „ 40 | 28 | 2 | 10 „ | 11 | 1 „ | ||||
| 20, „ 30 | 20 | 4 | 9 „ | *1 | 16 hours. | ||||
| 8 | 8 „ | *2 | 12 „ | ||||||
| 10, „ 20 | 7 | 5 | 7 „ | *1 | 4 „ | ||||
| 3 | 6 „ | *2 | 2 ,, | ||||||
| 5, „ 10 | 3 | 10 | 5 „ | 4 | unknown. | ||||
| From 1 to 5 | 12 | 12 | |||||||
| Under 1 | 22 | 16 | 3 „ | ||||||
| 24 | 2 „ | ||||||||
| — | 35 | 1 ,, | |||||||
| 286 | * Dying on Admission. | ||||||||
Births.—During the year 123 births have taken place, viz.:—64 Males, and 58
Females; of these 52 were legitimate, while 71 were illegitimate. Comparing these
figures with those of former years, it will be observed what a gradual and steady increase
has taken place: thus, in 1853, the total number of births was 30; 1856, 53; 1859, 56;
1862, 68; 1865, 100; and in 1867, 123; shewing an advance in the past 14 years from
30 to 123.
Vaccination.—Only 30 children, born in the House, have been rendered safe from
the ravages of Small Pox by Vaccination, a number very small when compared with the
number of births. This is to be accounted for, however, in the fact of so many mothers
taking their discharge before the children are one month old.