Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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a greater rate than the Life Table standard, the large number of
persons living between 5 and 65 would reduce the rate to 22.75
per 1000 persons living. The actual death-rate in 1871 was
22.60, so that it varied from the calculated death-rate by only 0.10
per 1000 population. As regards Hackney the normal death-rate
is 22.04 per 1000 population; of London 21.79, and of England
22.75; so that the mortality of Hackney ought to be higher than
that for all London—other conditions besides age and sex being
equal—and somewhat lower than that for all England.
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yards inspected., 126 bakehouses examined, most of them more
than once, and also the rooms in 18 houses measured to determine
their cubical capacity.
The number of houses inspected as before-mentioned was
6037, which contained 25,733 rooms used for dwelling in. The
number of houses in the list is 12 less than in 1874, and of the
rooms nearly 500 less, in consequence of many of the kitchens not
being used for living or sleeping in. This is a larger departure
from the average than usual, and probably arises from the empty
houses being much smaller in number than they were a few
years ago. The greater rate of wages received by labourers has
led in this District to less overcrowding and a less frequent use of
small and badly ventilated kitchens than formerly obtained. The
number of families in these small houses has also decidedly
diminished, as in 1875 there were only 8793 families in the 6047
houses against 9088 families in 1874, which supports the belief
that more wages are earned or else a larger proportion of the
wages must be spent in house rent. The number of inmates was
nearly 1000 less, as there were only 37,882 persons residing in
them against 38,849 in 1874. The number of nuisances discovered
was greater, but this arose chiefly, if not entirely, in consequence
of the carefulness with which the water supply apparatus
was examined and the strictness with which the necessary repairs
were enforced. As regards the diseases discovered in these
houses they varied rather considerably from those in 1874, as the
small pox cases were less; those of scarlet fever more, viz., 177
against 140; those of typhus fever less, viz., 24 against 42;
whilst those of typhoid and simple fever were greater viz., 47
against 29. As a much larger number of cases of scarlet fever
was discovered than in 1874, whilst the mortality in 1874 was
greater, we are, I think, justified in assuming that although
scarlet fever was less fatal it was more prevalent than in 1874.
If so, I think we may fairly assume that the sanitary measures
adopted have exercised a due effect on the death-rate from this
disease.
There were numerous inspections of yards of houses made