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13
As the rate of mortality in the Whitechapel District for the year
1847 is considerably above the rate of all the subsequent years, with the
exception of that for 1866, when the cholera so extensively prevailed, it is
desirable to offer some explanation of the cause of such mortality; and
for this purpose, I may direct your attention to the unusual prevalence of
influenza which occurred in the last three months of the year 1847, when
the deaths in London from it in that period alone, were 1161; the total
number for the year being 1253. The deaths from diarrhoea and fever
were very numerous, especially among the Irish poor, who flocked over
to England owing to the potato famine in Ireland. Small-pox, scarlatina,
diarrhoea, typhus and erysipelas also prevailed.
The Kegistrar-General records the fact, that "the mortality in London
was raised by influenza from 1086 in the week ending November 20th, to
1677 in the week ending November 27th; 2454 in the first, 2416 in the
second week of December; the epidemic then gradually declined. The
deaths, directly or indirectly caused by influenza, were not less than 5000
in six weeks" There being a very large and poor population, consisting
of numerous Irish in this district; the severity of the disease and its
consequent mortality may be accounted for therein. It may be stated, as
a general rule, that the more destitute the population, the larger is the
rate of mortality, particularly among young children.
I have not at hand the returns of death from influenza in the Whitechapel
District for 1847, but I perfectly well recollect that the cases of
influenza among the poor in the courts abutting on Rosemary Lane, Castle
Alley, and Goulston Street were very numerous; and I had on one day
about 60 new cases of illness among the pauper population to attend to.
As so much has been recently said on the unsatisfactory result of the
labours of the numerous persons engaged in the science of preventive
medicine—in proof of which it has been alleged that the rate of
mortality in London is as high as it was forty years ago—I have
deemed it advisable to investigate the matter. In order to facilitate
the inquiry I prepared the preceding table, which shows, at a glance,
the annual deaths in the Metropolis from 1838 to 1876. From this
it will be seen that the allegation I allude to is not quite correct. Thus,
in the ten years, 1838-47, the average annual death-rate for London was
26.0 per 1000; while in the decenniad, 1867-76, it was only 23.2 per 1000;
and if there had been a systematic and reliable annual publication of the
death-rate before the year 1838 it would probably have been seen that it
was at an earlier period much higher ; and the comparison of it with the
present annual death-rate would have proved much more favourable. This
table also shows that the death-rate in London, which in 1839 was 26.1 per
1000, was in 1876 22.3 per 1000.
Some inaccuracies must necessarily occur in estimating the number of