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

View report page

Hackney 1896

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]

This page requires JavaScript

10
1,000 births. This rate is only 2 per 1,000 less than in 1895, when
in addition to an abnormally hot summer and water failure, there
was an extremely cold winter, all of these circumstances helping to
raise the infantile rate. It is noticeable that the largest number of
deaths occurred during the third quarter, no less than 390 being
then registered. Of this number, 143 were due to diarrhoea, and, as
stated elsewhere, I am convinced the scarcity of water during that
period increased the deaths from the cause quoted.
The following table gives the eleven chief causes of deaths
under one year in the four quarters of 1896.
TABLE VI.—Eleven principal causes of Infant Mortality.
First
Quarter.
Second
Quarter.
Third
Quarter.
Fourth
Quarter.
Totals.
Measles
1
11
3
0
15
Scarlatina
4
0
2
0
6
Whooping Cough
27
25
6
3
61
Teething
4
7
6
2
19
Diarrhœa
3
18
143
7
171
Convulsions
25
26
21
21
93
Lung Diseases.
31
35
16
55
137
Tubercular Diseases
16
13
20
2
57
Atrophy and Debility
26
22
54
28
101
Premature Birth
21
29
31
29
110
Accidents & Violence
6
7
8
6
27
Total
164
193
310
159
826
Other Causes
37
27
80
40
184
Total
201
220
390
199
1010
SPECIFIC CAUSES OF DEATH.
Class I.
Specific Febrile or Zymotic Diseases.—The deaths from
these diseases numbered 847 during the year, being an increase of
141 over the number for the previous year. The chief increase was
in scarlet fever, whooping cough, diphtheria, and in diarrhoea. The
rate for the year for Hackney is 3.9 per 1,000, and for all London
3.14 per 1,000 living.