London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Whitechapel 1874
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Whitechapel]
This page requires JavaScript
8
for the most part unprovided either with covers or taps, so that the water
was rendered unfit for use. On complaints being made to the landlords
upon the condition of the water receptacles, a water-waste-preventer to each
house (51 in number), has been provided.
Vegetables unfit for Food.
Mr. Battram reports, that his attention was recently directed to a
quantity of turnip tops brought to Spitalfields Market for sale. Upon
examination, they were found to be totally unfit for human food. Mr. Battram
caused them to be taken before the Magistrate, at the "Worship Street
Police Court, who, upon viewing them condemned them, and told the
Inspector that he could have a summons against the owner. The turnip
tops were afterwards seen by the Medical Officer of Health, who considered
them unfit for food. A summons was taken out, and after the hearing
of the case, the defendant was fined £4 and 2s. costs, or one month's
imprisonment; the Magistrate remarking that he had doubts if he ought
not to send him to prison without the option of paying a fine. The fine
was paid.
| Districts. | Area in Statute Acres. | Population in 1871. | Density of Population to an Acre. | Number of square yards to a person | Elevation in feet. | Number of births in 52 weeks. | Number of Deaths in 52 weeks.. | Deaths in Workhouse, & Deaths of non-resident*, and from accidents in the London Hospital |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artillery | 25 | 6651 | 266 | 18.1 | 41 | 235 | 162 | |
| Spitalfields | 53 | 15848 | 299 | 16.1 | 36 | 501 | 362 | |
| Mile End New T. | 64 | 15550 | 243 | 19.9 | 36 | 646 | 415 | 340 Wkhouse. |
| Whitechapel Nth. | 58 | 11597 | 199 | 24.2 | 36 | 425 | 306 | |
| ,, Church | 47 | 155 | 31.0 | 32 | 274 | 172 | 393 non-residts. | |
| Goodman's Fields | 51 | 10381 | 203 | 23.7 | 28 | 347 | 220 | 178 accidents |
| †Aldgate | 108 | 9224 76,573 | 85 | 56.6 | 19 | 229 | 235 | 74 residents |
| Entire District ... | 40G | 188.6 | Average 25.6 | Average 32½ | 2657 | 1872 | 645 total deaths in Hospital. |
• The deaths in the Workhouse and Hospital being allocated to their respective Sub-districts.
The area of London is 75,362 acres.
The persons to an acre are 45.1.
†This sub-district is on the whole more sparsely populated than that of any of the other
sub-districts, but it must be borne in mind that it contains the Precinct of St. Katharine,
which has an acreage of 15 statute acres, with a population of 241 only, the District of the
Tower, which contains 27 statute acres, with a population of 1,329, of which 578 form the
garrison, and Holy Trinity, Minories, which contains 4 statute acres, or 19,360 square yards,
with a population of 417, which gives 46.4 square yards to each person. The Aldgate
sub-district contains the Sailors' Home and Sailors' Asylum; the former at the time of the
census contained 157 males, and the latter 16 males. Included in the 108 acres, comprising
this sub-district, there are 33 acres of water. The numerous narrow streets and courts
situated ou the south side of Rosemary Lane are very crowded, affording only in some
instances 8.1 square yards to each person.