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

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St Giles (Camberwell) 1892

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell]

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282
afresh in the autumn of 1889; and that during this period
it has at times almost died out, and at other times has prevailed
with epidemic violence. Such an outbreak occurred
in London during the first few months of 1892, and largely
increased the mortality (luring that period. But the mortality
due to this disease was undoubtedly much heavier than the
recorded deaths from influenza show ; for not only did the
mortality for that quarter of the year amount to more than
one-third of the total year's mortality, but also the deaths
in persons from 20 years of age onwards were remarkably
numerous, and deaths ascribed to inflammatory affections of
the lungs (which are common complications of influenza and
often the immediate cause of death in that disease) were also
in great excess.
Under the head of diarrhoea (as also under the head of
fever), are, naturally included several fundamentally different
affections, linked together and confounded with one
another on acceunt of the common presence in all of
diarrlœa as a symptom Still, there is no doubt, that the
summer diarrluœa, which is so fatal among children, is
essentially a specific disease, although its specific causes
have not yet been accurately determined. Under the head
of diarrhœal diseases, 169 deaths were registered, of which
all but one occurred within the Parish. This number is
higher by 27 than the number returned in 1891, and higher
by 25 than that returned in 1890. Of these, 145 occurred
in children under 5 years of age, and 121 in the course of
the months of July, August, and September. Of this total
number, 1 was due to Dulwich, 51 were due to Camberwell,
69 to Peckham, and 48 to St. George's.