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
Hackney 1871
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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is far in excess of that for 1866, when Cholera prevailed, indeed
there were nearly three times as many deaths in this district
from Small Pox last year, as from Cholera and Choleraic
Diarrhœa in 1866.
In order to trace out the laws of epidemic diseases we must
not confine our enquiries to too small areas, nor to any one area,
hut as my report is only for the consideration of this Board, I
do not purpose extending my table to any population outside
the Metropolis, and therefore submit for your consideration the
mortality from Small Pox in the years 1840-72.
Table I.
Mortality in London from Small Pox, 1840-71.
| Years. | Deaths. | Years. | Deaths. | Years. | Deaths. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 1235 | 1852 | 1166 | 1863 | 2012 |
| 1841 | 1053 | 1853 | 217 | 1864 | 537 |
| 1842 | 360 | 1854 | 676 | 1865 | 646 |
| 1843 | 430 | 1866 | 1388 | ||
| 1844 | 1804 | 1855 | 1024 | 1867 | 1332 |
| 1845 | 909 | 1856 | 522 | 1868 | 606 |
| 1846 | 257 | 1857 | 154 | 1869 | 273 |
| 1847 | 955 | 1858 | 247 | 1870 | 958 |
| 1848 | 1617 | 1859 | 1156 | 1871 | 7878 |
| 1840 | 518 | 1860 | 877 | ||
| 1850 | 498 | 1861 | 215 | ||
| 1851 | 1066 | 1862 | 345 |
It will he seen that during the first period of four years the
disease was epidemic, in 1840-41; during the second period in
1844; during the third, in 1848, and also in 1851, being an
acceleration of its ordinary time. The fourth period includes
three years only, when it was epidemic in the first year. In the
other periods of four years it prevailed in the first years of each
period in all instances, but was also epidemic in 1866, which