London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hackney 1862

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]

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TABLE VI-

1862.—Deaths from Epidemic Diseases.

IstQr.2ndQr.3rd Qr.4th Qr.Totals
Small-Pox...11...2
Measles1661932
Scarlet Fever21994483
Diptheria7551027
WhoopingCough1614151156
Diarrhoea466925
Fever2620232089
Totals756165113314

This Table shews that the small-pox epidemic did not commence
during this year in Hackney, as there was not any death from it
either during the first or last quarter of the year, and only 1
in each of the other quarters, whilst measles caused a mortality
varying from 1 in the first quarter to 19 in the fourth quarter;
scarlet fever produced 9 deaths in the second, 9 in the third
quarter, 21 in the first, and no less than 44 in the last; of all
epidemic diseases, I consider this as influenced less than any
other by sanitary improvements external to the dwelling, and to
depend materially on the internal arrangements, on cleanliness,
and isolation of the affected persons. Diphtheria produced a
mortality of 27 in the year; whooping cough of 56, of which
16 deaths were registered in the first quarter ; diarrhoea caused
only 25 deaths against 51 in 1861, 19 in 1860, 87 in 1859, 50
in 1858, and 69 in 1857. Fever was I regret to say, unusually
fatal, but not so much so in Hackney as in other metropolitan
districts. In some of my former reports I stated my conviction
that although sanitary measures would reduce the fatality of
fever, yet that they would not prevent its outbreak when
meteorological or other causes exerted an unusually powerful
influence. This opinion has been fully borne cut by the recent
epidemic, for in most of the cases which I enquired into, no
error in the sanitary arrangements could be detected. One