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
Leyton 1911
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Leyton]
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26
It will be seen from the above table, although the thermometer
4 ft. below the earth's surface registered 58.6° in June and 62.7°
in July (Ballard showed that Diarrhœal mortality began to rise
when the 4 ft. earth thermometer registered about 56°), no considerable
rise took place until August, when the 4 ft. earth temperature
reached 66.4°. The maximum mortality, however, coincides
with the maximum temperature. The mean air temperatures, it
will be noted, were practically the same for July and August,
thus emphasising what Ballard pointed out, that they had little
or nothing to do with the increase of Diarrhoeal mortality.
In 1902 these diseases caused the deaths of 45 children under 5 years of age.
| ,, . 1903 „ „ | 35 ,, ,, |
| ,, 1904 ,, ,, ,, „ | 180 ,, ,, |
| ,, 1905 ,, ,, ,, „ | 52 ,, ,, |
| ,, 1906 ,, „ ,, „ | 116 ,, ,, |
| „ 1907 „ „ „ „ | 37 ,, ,, |
| ,, 1908 ,, ,, ,, ,, | 36 „ ,, |
| „ 1909 ,, ,, ,, ,, | 34 ,, ,, |
| ,, 1910 ,, ,, ,, ,, | 16 „ ,, |
| ,,1911 ,, ,, ,, ,, | 110 ,, ,, |
Last year I remarked that the decline in these diseases was
mainly to be attributed to the cool summers experienced during
those years. 1911, an exceptionally hot summer, has verified
that statement by the toll it has taken of the lives of young children.