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 1898
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Whitechapel]
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credited. I have previously stated that in all deaths from Phthisis, where it is
possible to do so, disinfection is carried out as though the death were due to
a Zymotic disease.
1 am happy to state that now we have the assistance in this direction of the
Sanitary Committee of the Jewish Board of Guardians. After an exhaustive
enquiry into the subject, the Committee have given instructions that in all
cases of Phthisis, when the patient has relations with the Board, their
Inspector is to see that complete disinfection shall be effected in every part
of the rooms which have been occupied by patients, and I hope that benefit
will result from this order. In this, as in all other sanitary work, your officers
work in sympathy and harmony with the Inspector appointed by the Jewish
Board.
In considering the percentage of Deaths to total Deaths from Diseases
of the Zymotic Class, it is satisfactory to notice that the Whitechapel District—
again records a rate diminishing even faster than is the case for London as a
whole.
In the whole of London in the year 1897 there were 17 deaths registered
from Small-pox: last year only one death was caused by that disease.
From the Metropolitan Asylums' Board weekly returns, 1 find that throughout
the year over four and a half millions of people were unable to contribute
more than 35 cases of the disease. Two of the cases were credited to White
chapel ; one was imported from abroad, but the source of infection in the other
case I was unable to trace.
The year 1898 was remarkable for at least two things—it was the Centenary
of the publication by Jenner of his great work upon Vaccination, and it was
also the year when the last Vaccination Bill received the Royal assent.
The work of Jenner has resulted in practically eliminating Small-pox from
our midst we shall see later on what will be the result of the new law.
In the meantime, we still have continental countries determined to stand by
the discovery which has done so much for their nations, and thus an object
lesson will be lacking in the future, should England allow the protective
work to diminish.
I do not fear for Whitechapel so much—as only 60 persons have taker advantage of the " Conscientious Objection " clause of the Act.
OLD AGE DEATHS.
| Age Distribution of the Deaths. | Sub-Registration Districts Distribution. |
| Between the ages of 80 and 85 31 | Spitalfields Sub-District 16 |
| „ ,, 85 and 90 8 | Mile End New Town 8 |
| Above the age of 90 3 | Whitechapel Church 13 Goodman's Fields 5 |
| Total 42 |
All who died after having reached the age of 90 were women, and two of
them passed their last days in public institutions.
Registered Cause or the above Deaths :—
| Old Age | 19 |
| Heart Disease | 2 |
| Nervous Diseases | 7 |
| Respiratory | 9 |
| Cancer | 3 |
| Accidents | 2 |
| Total | 42 |