London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Shoreditch 1856

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]

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The following Table exhibits the total number of admissions into the Workhouse, the number of admissions on account of sickness, week by week, and serve to illustrate the relative influence of sickness as a cause of Pauperism.

July.August.
5th.12th.19th.26th.2nd.9th.16th.23rd.30th.
Total Admissions412046322838244054
Admitted Sick1471018101182116

September.
6th. 13th. 20th. 27th.
Total Admissions 34 18 47 35
Admitted Sick 7 11 15 10
Hence it appears, that out of 457 admissions, 158 were taken in whilst
labouring under sickness ; and it is certain that these persons thus compelled to seek
refuge in the Workhouse from sickness draw other members of their families in their
train. In many of these instances I am aware from personal knowledge the most
obvious cause of disease was destitution; but in many others, the disease, I am equally
satisfied, was caused by Malaria. Of the 158 cases of sickness, 23 were cases of
Typhus, and 7 of Diarrhoea. Of Typhus, there were 6 males and 17 females. The
ages of the six males ranged between 17 and 55; of the females 4 were under 14, and
13 from 17 to 66. These are facts which indicate how severely the Sewer-fever—for
that name is more appropriate than Typhus—tells upon those in the productive
period of life.
During the winter-quarter we may expect Pulmonary and other topical or
organic diseases to play a more active part in increasing the Mortality. The influence
of heat, cold, and wet—causes which admit of great mitigation under well-devised
Sanitary administration—is_ now becoming daily more manifest in the character of the
prevailing sickness, although it is scarcely yet traced in the causes of death
registered in the Mortuary Returns.