View report page

7
From a Table prepared by the Registrar General, and ordered by the House of Commons
to be printed, 5th February, 1864, entitled " Return of the average annual proportion of
deaths from specified causes, at specified ages, in England generally, and in each Registration
Division and Registration District of England, during the decennial period 1851-60, it
appears that the District of Whitechapel, as regards its rate of mortality, is very high, (the
highest but one in the whole Metropolis,) the deaths in 100,000 being on an average 3,041
annually, or 3.041 per cent. ; but from a Table corrected by the Registrar General for the
deaths in Hospitals, and distributing them proportionally over the several Districts, it
appears that the average number of deaths per 100,000 in the "Whitechapel District is 2,841
annually. This mode of calculation may be the best that can be adopted upon the data
furnished to the Registrar General, but it probably tells unfavorably upon all the Districts
in London ; for a great many patients from the country are admitted into the London
Hospitals, and the fatal eases are registered among the deaths in the Metropolis. In the
London Hospital, during the last year, there were 21 deaths of persons whose residences
were in the country, of which, 16 were of patients from Essex. As regards the mortality
of the Whitechapel District, when compared with that of other districts, I may state, that
while the neighbouring districts sent a great many of their fever cases to the Fever Hospital,
(St. George in the East having sent 140 patients during the year 1863,) Whitechapel did not
send one case. The rate of mortality in the Fever Hospital of patients admitted with typhus
fever was 16.02 per cent., the rate of mortality among the female patients being 14,5 per
cent., and among the male patients 17.8 per cent. Deducting 23 cases, fatal within 24 hours,
and 28 other cases, fatal within 48 hours of admission, the mortality was only 12.5 per cent.
The rate of mortality of patients admitted with typhoid or enteric fever was 14.2 per cent.;
that among the male patients having been 21.60 per cent., and among the female patients
only 11.76 per cent.
The number of Inquests has been 90, of which 48 were held at the London Hospital.
In the corresponding quarter of the previous year, the total number of Inquests held in
this District was 72.
The deaths in the workhouse have been 115, viz.: 64 of males and 51 of females, of
which deaths, 14 were caused by feyer, 2 by diarrhoea, and 1 by measles. Three of the
deaths in the workhouse were of persons above 80 years of age ; one of these, a female, had
reached the extreme age of 96. In the corresponding quarter of last year the deaths in
the workhouse were 101.
The Medical Officers of the Union have attended 3,569 new cases of disease among the
pauper population; of which 11 /were of small-pox, 45 of measles, 14 of scarlet-fever,
54 of hooping-cough, 142 of diarrhoea, and 141 of fever. In the corresponding quarter of
1863, the total number of cases was 3,607, of which 103 were of small-pox, 34 of measles,
31 of scarlet-fever, 40 of hooping-cough, 129 of diarrhoea, aud 76 of fever.
The cases of illness in the workhouse have been 824, of which Mr. Champneys attended
439, and Mr. Richardson 385. The cases of epidemic disease, included in the above returns,
have been 4 of small-pox, 2 of measles, 8 of scarlet-fever, 28 of diarrhoea, and 145 of fever.
Mr. Champneys states that three cases of gangrene occurred in the workhouse during the
last quarter, one of which proved fatal.
The Inspectors have, in addition to their visitations to, and reports upon, an average
number of 10 courts daily, specially inspected and given in a report upon the sanitary condition
of each room, and of the number of persons living therein, in the 14 undermentioned
courts: New Court, George Yard ; Hairbrain Court; Harrison's Court; Pope's Head Court;
Luntley Place ; Jacob's Court, which is an enclosed part of Castle Alley, in which are four
houses badly constructed and without sufficient domestic conveniences, so that this locality
is always in a filthy condition ; King's Head Court; Queen's Place, High Street, Whitechapel
; Inkhorn Court; Buckle Street; Plough Square ; Plough Street; Plough Court;