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
Kensington 1857
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]
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28
period, was 22.5 per 1000; and as the Registrar General gives it
his opinion that a death rate of 17 per 1000 may be attained in any
moderately healthy locality, it follows that 131 persons died who
might, but for some local influences, as overcrowding, filth, &c. have
been saved.
The following table will shew the number of deaths from the various Epidemic or Zymotic diseases, arranged in the various quarters, and compared with the deaths from the same diseases in 1856.
| Diseased Inspiratory Organs. | Small Pox. | Measles. | Scarlet Fever. | H. Cough | Diar. | Fever. | Total. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 134 | 1857 | 1qr. | 0 | 11 | 10 | 22 | 4 | 4 | 51 |
| 97 | ... | 2 qr. | 0 | 4 | 5 | 10. | 3 | 0 | 21 |
| 75 | ... | 3 qr. | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 71 | 8 | 86 |
| 136 | ... | 4 qr. | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 22 |
| 412 | Total | 0 | 15 | 26 | 37 | 83 | 20 | 180 | |
| 447 | Total | 1856 | 13 | 30 | 20 | 19 | 62 | 15 | 159 |
You will notice that the mortality from Small Pox has been
reduced, from 13 to 0—from Measles from 30 to 15—whereas the
death-rate from Hooping Cough has been nearly doubled, and from
Diarrhæa much increased:*
* This extra mortality from Diarrhæa, is I believe, mainly owing to
the peculiar meteorological phenomena of the year, which are, "The
high temperature and the slowness of the winds movements. The
temperature was 2° above the average of the preceeding 17 years, the
wind, instead of moving at the average rate of 110 miles a day, passed
over London at the rate of 81 miles."—Report of Registrar General.
The per centage of deaths from this class to those from all causes
is 15-04, and from diseases of the Respiratory Organs, the per centage
36-9, excluding the mortality of non parishioners in the Consumption
Hospital, the percentage becomes 27.4, whereas the average of all