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

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Hackney 1879

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]

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20
the 10 years. The greatest number in one year occurred in 1878,
and the smallest in 1870. Fever was less prevalent in 1879 than
usual, 47 deaths having been registered, against an average of 53,
or if corrected for increase of population, of 63. There were
three deaths returned as arising from typhus fever, two of which
certainly were not typhus, and one so very doubtful that I
registered it from inflammation of the lungs, which was returned
as a concurrent disease—"Typhus three days, congestion of
lungs; " aged 8. In another case the certificate was, "Typhus
five days, cirrhosis of liver, ascites (dropsy)," aged 16, clearly
not a case of typhus. The third was somewhat similar. There
was another case of " fever" which I registered as brain disease,
the certificate being, " continued fever three days, brain disease
eight days," in a child aged three years. I made personal enquiry
as to all the deaths from typhus, and into those from fever
and small.pox, whenever the report of the inspector made me
consider such a visit desirable. I also went to several houses
where there was a difficulty in obtaining the removal to the
hospital of children affected with small.pox or scarlet fever. As
regards diarrhoea, I have already discussed the mortality from
this disease, and need only say that the annual average number
of deaths (corrected) for 1869.70 was 145, against only 67 in
1879. The death.rates from these seven zymotic diseases per
1,000 population were 2.29 in Hackney, 3.35 in London, and
2.39 in England and Wales, which are much below the average.
The death.rates from these diseases have been on the decline in
England and Wales since 1870, as the average in 1851.60 was
4.11; in 1861.70, 4.14 ; and in 1871.79 it was only 3.37 per
1,000 inhabitants. The mortality from fever has been reduced
from 0.91 and 0.88 in 1851.60 and 1861.70 to 0.51 per 1,000
in 1871.79.