View report page

REPORT
Gentlemen,
The total mortality in the Whitechapel District for the three months
that ended on Saturday, September 26th, 1857, as recorded in the returns of the
local registrars, was 551. For the corresponding period of last year, the mortality
was 510. In both these returns are included all the deaths in the London Hospital,
whether residents, or non-residents, and cases of violent death.
The variations in the amount of mortality in the London Hospital, and in the
two workhouses situated within the district, have not been very great ; a difference
of 10 only is observed in the returns of the London Hospital, and of 3 in the two
workhouses.
The disease which has caused the largest amount of mortality during the last
quarter, is diarrhoea; 102 persons having died of it; 82 of whom were under 5 years
of age, and of these 82, 51 were under 12 months. Fever, and small pox, have
proved less fatal; of the former, there were 21 cases against 33, and of the latter, 2*
against 7. Measles shows an increase of 13, (16 against 3), and scarlet fever of 1
(13 against 12). In the total number of deaths from epidemic diseases, there is an
increase of 42, which may be accounted for by the unusual amount of mortality from
diarrhoea (102 against 63).
The deaths from diseases of the respiratory organs, (heart and lungs) amounted
to 49, 31 of which occurred to children under 5 years of age. Scrofula or tubercular
diseases (consumption, hydrocephalus, mesenteric disease, and convulsions of
infants) proved fatal to 141, of whom 88 were under 5 years of age. Six deaths
from cholera were recorded, five of which occurred to young children under 5, and
one to an adult aged 62.
The local registrars record 47 inquests, 30 of which were held on persons dying
in the London Hospital.
During the last quarter, 12 of the deaths were uncertified, viz.—6 in the MileEnd
New Town Sub-district, 2 in the Whitechapel North, 2 in the Goodman's
* It would be desirable to note in the Returns of Deaths from Small Pox, whether the
patient had, or had not, been vaccinated. In one of these cases it is recorded that the
child, aged 2 years, had not been vaccinated.