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
Whitechapel 1875
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Whitechapel]
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tality from diseases of the respiratory organs. I commend it to the attentive
consideration of the public.
Pauper Illness in the District.
The number of out-door sick paupers which have been attended by the
Medical Officers of the Union has been 3685. During the previous year the
number was 4887. The extraordinary annual diminution of the out-door
sick paupers, from upwards of 17,000 to 3685, is a matter of great satisaction
to the ratepayers of this District.
Illness in the Workhouse.
The cases of illness in the Workhouse during the year have been 2522,
including 43 cases of syphilis, and 18 of lead poisoning. The 43 cases of
syphilis, and 13 of the 18 cases of lead poisoning, occurred during the last
quarter.
The following Table shows the rate of mortality of children under 1, and under 5 years of age in relation to the total deaths, and to the total births, in each Sub-district, for the year ending 3rd October, 1874.
| Districts. | Total deaths. | Deaths under 1 year of age. | Deaths under 5 years of age. | proportion per cent. | Total births. | Remarks. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Of deaths of chil dren under 1 year to total deaths. | Of deaths of children under 5 years to total deaths. | Of deaths of children under 1 year to total births. | Of deaths of children under 5 years to total births. | ||||||
On perusing the above Table, a great discrepancy is observed in the
rate of mortality of children under 1, and under 5 years of age, in the
Whitechapel Church Sub-district, and in all the other Sub-districts. This
is explained by the deaths in the London Hospital, which institution
receives patients from all the eastern parts of London, and from many parts
of the country, and these patients are principally adults. If, therefore, we
were to draw the conclusion from the fact, that, as the rate of mortality of
young children, in relation to the total deaths in that Sub-district, is so