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The death rate was 15.2 and the infant mortality rate was 118 per
thousand births. Among the causes of deaths reported were Tuberculosis 665,
Measles 236, Cancer 202, Premature Births 156, Diarrhoea 153, Enteritis 104,
Whooping Cough 65, Alcoholism 52, Diphtheria 51 and Scarlet Fever 25.
Deaths of children under one year included 134 from Diarrhoea and 76
from Enteritis. There were 220 inquests on children under five years of
age, 38 deaths being attributed to overlying in bed by parents, 49 to
convulsions and 24 to burns and scalds.
Notifications of infectious disease included 907 cases of Scarlet
Fever, 491 of Diphtheria, and 8 cases of Smallpox.
The Report contains the information that at that time there were 38
Common Lodging Houses in the area, providing accommodation for 6,900 persons;
also 37 Cowhouses housing 796 cows. Of the 1,203 samples of food analysed
140 (or 11.6/5) were found to be adulterated, as a result of which 75 prosecutions
were taken. 117 samples of milk and 19 of butter were found to be
adulterated. 87 samples of milk were taken on Sundays, 14.9% of these being
adulterated.
Fifteen milk sellers were prosecuted for using dirty milk vessels and
utensils and 16 for selling milk while not being registered for the purpose.
An attempt was made to salt and smoke horse tongues and sell them as
reindeer tongues, but did not prove a success.
In one shop in the Borough there was a curious combination of trades,
viz., purveying of cats meat (horseflesh) and tea, and the curling of
feathers. There were 35 purveyors of cats meat in the area.
The average number of persons per dwelling was 9.4.
In 1909 the Council appointed its first Health Visitor, Miss Isabel
Virtue, at a salary of £100 per annum.
That year also the Council decided to acquire the Lord of the Manor's
rights in the waste manorial land on both sides of part of Whitechapel Road
and Mile End Road at a cost of £1,500, in order to lay out the land as a
retail market and public gardens.
During the year ended 31st March, 1909, 14,647 loads of hay and 4,686
loads of straw were brought into the Whitechapel Hay and Straw Market. A
tollage of 6d was payable for each load of straw, one-third of the sum collected
being paid to the Lord of the Manor.
Population.
The Registrar-General's mid-year estimate for 1959 is 94,900. Last
year's estimate was 96,360, while the Census taken in 1951 showed the
population to be 98,858. The section of the Registrar-General's Report
on the 1951 Census dealing with the usual residence and workplace of the
population, revealed that the Borough's day—time population was 141,400
compared with 98,858 night time population - an increase of over 44%.
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