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
Clerkenwell 1858
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Clerkenwell, St James & St John]
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26
The total number of deaths from Zymotic diseases, amounts (according
to the old arrangement) to 336; that for 1857, being 348.
The deaths from the principal zymotic diseases, were 285, against
295 in 1857, and 244 in 1856. These deaths are tabulated below,
according to the respective years.
| 1856. | SMALL POX. | MEASLES. | SCARLET FEVER. | HOOPING COUGH. | DIARRHOEA | TYPHUS. | TOTALS. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Quarter. | 3 | 11 | 28 | 2 | 11 | 55 | |
| 2nd ,, | 3 | 18 | 11 | 15 | 2 | 16 | 65 |
| 3rd „ | 6 | 16 | 4 | 38 | 15 | 79 | |
| 4th „ | 3 | 3 | 17 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 46 |
| 1857. | 6 | 30 | 55 | 57 | 44 | 52 | 244 |
| 1st Quarter. | 2 | 9 | 5 | 35 | 2 | 10 | 63 |
| 2nd „ | 18 | 6 | 16 | 4 | 13 | 57 | |
| 3rd „ | 2 | 7 | 16 | 10 | 49 | 11 | 95 |
| 4th „ | 2 | 17 | 15 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 80 |
| 1858. | 6 | 51 | 42 | 84 | 65 | 47 | 295 |
| 1st Quarter. | 1 | 10 | 6 | 28 | 5 | 5 | 55 |
| 2nd | 10 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 8 | 39 | |
| 3rd „ | 1 | 11 | 20 | 3 | 34 | 7 | 76 |
| 4th „ | 3 | 38 | 37 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 115 |
| 5 | 69 | 61 | 61 | 55 | 31 | 285 |
656 deaths occured in infants and children under 5 years of age ; in
1857, the number was 663. 336 deaths took place at and above 60
years of age, including 47 at and above 80 ; 290 deaths arose from the
Consumptive class of disease ; 224 deaths arose from diseases of the
pulmonary organs ; 214 deaths occured in the workhouse.
These are the principal data in the mortality, to which I shall direct
your principal attention ; the remainder will be found in the Tables at
the end of the Report.
It is interesting to find that the number of deaths from Zymotic diseases
is less than last year- Deducting the number of deaths at and
above 60, from (he total number of deaths, the Zymotic diseases amount
to nearly 1/4th of the remainder.
The short history of these diseases is, that some arise from infection
or contagion, whilst others are generated amidst dirt, filth, and foul