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

View report page

Hackney 1874

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]

This page requires JavaScript

17
unaltered, as 44 were registered in the seven warm against 46 in
the seven cold weeks. Diseases of the Nervous system proved
fatal to a much larger number of persons in the cold than in the
warm weeks, as there were 54 in the former against 33 in the
latter, or above 33 deaths against each 20 in the warm weeks.
The mortality from diseases of the Circulatory Organs varied but
little, 28 deaths having been registered in the warm against 29
in the cold period, but diseases of the Respiratory Organs were
enormously fatal, as no less than 154 deaths from inflammatory
diseases of the lungs were recorded in the cold period against 48
in the warm, so that for each 10 deaths in the warm there were
32 in the cold weeks.

TABLE IX.

Hackney.—Deaths from Inflammatory Diseases of the Lungs.

ages0 to 55 to 3538 to 5555 to 7575 and above.
Temperate1876107
Cold5918173822

I have grouped together the mortality in these periods at
different ages so as to show the effect of cold in increasing the
number of deaths from inflammatory affections of the lungs at
all ages. It will be seen that under 5 years of age and above 75
the increase was enormous, as the mortality under 5 was only 18
in the temperate whilst it was as great as 59 in the cold period,
and whilst it was only 7 amongst persons who were above 75 in
the temperate, it was as large as 22 in the cold period, or more
than three times as large in early childhood and in advanced age.
The proportion was larger still in the ages between 55 and 75,
perhaps from being more exposed to the weather, as no less
than 38 deaths were registered amongst persons of these ages
against only 10 in the temperate period. Between 5 and 55 an
almost similar rate obtained as in early childhood and advanced