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
St Giles (Camden) 1873
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Giles District]
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must be deducted in a similar way. The Deaths from Fever in Stockwell
(17) are incorporated. Besides these, there were 161 Deaths in
the Workhouse, which must be distributed among the Sub-Districts,
according to the previous residences of the deceased persons during
the current year. There were 42 Deaths in the Workhouse that
could not be appropriated to the Sub-Districts. The results of these
corrections are stated in the following table:—
TABLE No. 2.—The Death-rate to Population is St. Giles and its Sub-Districts in 1873.
| Sub-Districts. | Population. | Deaths. | Ratio of Deaths to Population. | Rate per 1000. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. George, Bloomsbury. | 17,843 | 322 | 1 in 55.4 | 18 |
| St. Giles South | 19,089 | 578 | 1 in 33 | 30.2 |
| St. Giles North | 16,497 | 335 | 1 in 49.2 | 20.3 |
| Workhouse | ... | 42 | ... | ... |
| Whole District | 53,429 | 1,277 | 1 in 41.8 | 23.90 |
12. It would be convenient here to compare the Death-rate for
last year with the average Death-rate, and with the Death-rate for
each year during the last ten years.
TABLE
| District*. | 1863. | 1864. | 1865. | 1866. | 1867. | 1868. | 1869. | 1870. | 1871. | 1872. | Average Death-rate of 10 years. | 1873. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. George, Bloomsbury | 19.9 | 21.6 | 21.1 | 20.0 | 19.0 | 21.0 | 21.16 | 22.1 | 21.2 | 19.67 | 20.67 | 18.0 |
| St. Giles South | 32.7 | 34.8 | 34.6 | 32.8 | 31.6 | 31.1 | 33.20 | 34.1 | 28.3 | 24.41 | 31.76 | 30.2 |
| St. Giles North | 27.3 | 29.2 | 26.6 | 29.8 | 26.6 | 25.3 | 29.47 | 27.5 | 23.4 | 21.15 | 26.63 | 20.3 |
| Whole District | 28.5 | 31.1 | 29.6 | 29.0 | 26.9 | 26.8 | 27.94 | 28.19 | 25.6 | 23.77 | 27.74 | 23.9 |
13. The foregoing table shows that the Death-rate for 1873 was
within a fraction the same as that for the previous year, which was
the lowest Death-rate on record. We have reason, therefore, to congratulate
the District on the continuance of a very favourable state of
the public health. Our Death-rate last year was only 23.9, whilst
the average Death-rate for the previous ten years was 27.74. Thus
about 400 human beings have had their lease of life extended during
the past two years.
14. It would be most imprudent, however, to "rest and be
thankful" for this increased healthfulness. The present rate is only
comparatively good ; in itself it indicates a large amount of preventable
mortality, and the existence among us of numerous causes of
physical impoverishment and suffering. It is simply an encourage-
* There were 42 deaths in the Workhouse that could not be allocated to either of the Sub-Districts
These are taken into account in estimating the Death-Rate for the whole District. (Vide Table No. 2.)