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1808—9.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
Medical Officer of Health.
I.—The Death-rate in the Metropolis in 1868 p. 1
II.—The Mortality of St. Giles District p. 2
III.—The Causes oj the Mortality in St. Giles District p. 3
IV.—The MoHality in the Sub-Districts of St. Giles p. 5
V.—The Mortality in the Workhouse and other Local Institutions p. 7
VI.—The Sanitary Work of the Year p. 12
Tables appended p. 16
TO THE
BOARD OF WORKS FOR THE ST. GILES DISTRICT.
Gentlemen,
My first Annual Report to you comprises the year's work of my
predecessor, and must necessarily, therefore, be, in some degree, imperfect.
The population of St. Giles District, in common with that of the Central
districts generally, remains nearly stationary, whilst that of the Metropolis
is growing on all sides; hence the proportion which the mortality in
St. Giles bears to that of [the whole metropolis must diminish each year;
although the ratio of its mortality to its own population may increase or
decrease according to the operation of general or local causes. It is in the
demonstration of these relations that the usefulness of these Annual Reports
consists.
The population of London for the year 1868 is estimated at 3,126,635.
The deaths for the 53 weeks (which for the purpose of computation we include
in this year) were 74,908. The death-rate therefore was 23.59, or nearly
24 per 1000 of the population; being a diminution of the average mortality
which is 24.34.
This favourable state of public health appears to have been, in some degree,
due to the meteorological conditions of the summer. From April to October
the weather was dry and fine, and although the cattle suffered from want of
rain, yet the health of the people was not so injuriously affected as to increase
the general mortality. An excess of rain occurred both at the beginning and
end of the year, so that the average amount of rain-fall was maintained.
The disease which was attended by an unusual death-rate was diarrhoea ;
nevertheless, there was nothing to cause alarm. The deaths from this disease
were 4,060 as against 2,942 in 1867, and 3,184 in 1866, when cholera prevailed.
The deaths from cholera in 1868 were 320, being a slight increase
upon the number in 1867, when they were 241.