London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Fulham 1882
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Fulham]
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TABLE II.
The following table shews the mean temperature; the population ; the number of persons to each acre; the number of births; the propoition of births to each 1000 persons living; the number of deaths; the proportion of deaths to each 1000 persons living ; and the proportion of persons living to each death.
| Year. | Mean Temperature Fahrnt. | Population Esti-ted. | Number of persons to each acre. | Number of brths | Proportion of births to each l000 persons living | Number of deaths | Proportion of deaths to each 1000 persons living. | Proportion of persons to each death. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEG. | ||||||||
| 18 73 | 48.9 | 73000 | 18.2 | 2709 | 37.1 | 1479 | 20.3 | 49.3 |
| 1874 | 49.4 | 78000 | 19.5 | 2807 | 35.9 | 1660 | 21.3 | 46.9 |
| 187 5 | 49.4 | 84000 | 21.0 | 3035 | 36.1 | 1875 | 22.3 | 48.8 |
| 1876 | 50.1 | 92000 | 23.0 | 3315 | 36.0 | 1964 | 21.3 | 46.8 |
| 1877 | 49.7 | 96000 | 24.0 | 3409 | 35.5 | 1771 | 18.4 | 54.2 |
| 1878 | 49.6 | 100000 | 25.0 | 3610 | 36.1 | 2358 | 23.5 | 42.4 |
| 1879 | 46.2 | 107000 | 26.7 | 3957 | 36.9 | 2219 | 20.7 | 48.2 |
| 1880 | 49.1 | 113500 | 28.4 | 4195 | 37.8 | 2331 | 19.7 | 50.9 |
| 1881 | 48.8 | 116000 | 29.0 | 4513 | 38.9 | 2473 | 21.3 | 46.9 |
| 1882 | 49.5 | 125000 | 31.2 | 4637 | 37.1 | 2499 | 19.9 | 50.0 |
The above table shows that, as compared with the previous year,
the deaths last year from small-pox, typhus fever and diarrhoea were
collectively decreased 112, but the deaths from measles, scarlet fever,
diphtheria, whooping cough, enteric fever, and English cholera,
were collectively increased 199.
Small-pox.
The epidemic of small-pox which so severely visited London the
year before last very considerably abated last year. In London
last year there were 431 deaths registered as occurring from this
disease against 2371 in the year previous. In this district very
few cases occurred, and not a single death was registered from the
complaint. The energetic action which your Board adopted in the
previous year was without doubt the cause of the very small number
of cases reported last year. No trouble was spared to get cases
properly isolated at hospitals; patients having been removed on
several occasions in the middle of the night, directly information
was received by your Inspector. No alteration in the law
in reference to the isolation of cases of infectious disease has taken
place since my last report was published. A bill is now before
Parliament for the better notification of infectious diseases, but
there is very little chance of its passing into law during the present
year. I am very strongly in favour of such a Bill being passed
but not in its present form, as many difficulties would arise in the
working of it unless considerable alterations are made. I shall