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
Lewisham 1858
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham]
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37
of the main sewer. The houses here are very dirty, and a great quantity of refuse is
thrown into a dirty pond near the houses, from which many of the inhabitants get their
supply of water. There is no proper drainage here.
A great quantity of offensive sewage runs from Verey's brewery and adjoining houses,
at Lower Sydenham; this is offensive and prejudicial to health, and should be taken
into the adjoining sewer, to prevent it reaching the Pool river, as it does at the present
time.
Sewage still flows into the open ditch at Ladywell, from the houses in front of which
the sewer passes.
The cow-yard occupied by Mr. Samuell, Blackheath Hill, contained upon a recent inspection
of mine a great quantity of offensive manure, &c. This is situated in the midst
of dwelling houses containing a pretty considerable population, and it should be entirely
done away with, or the law enforced to compel the daily removal of a nuisance which is
much complained of by the inhabitants.
| Week ending. | Weight of air. Barometer corrected. Mean inches. | Temperature of Air. Thermometer. | Prevailing winds. | Rainy days. | Amount of rain in inches. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest. | Lowest. | Mean of daily readings. | |||||
| Feb. 26 | 30.166 | 56°0 | 31°8 | 44°1 | S.W. | - | 0.00 |
| March 5 | 30.101 | 63.5 | 30.7 | 48.4 | S.W. | - | 0.00 |
| 12 | 29.881 | 59.0 | 29.7 | 45.7 | S.W. | 4 | 0.09 |
| 19 | 26.601 | 58.0 | 35.7 | 47.4 | S.W. | 4 | 0.41 |
| 26 | 29.938 | 58.3 | 34.0 | 46.1 | N.W. | 1 | 0.17 |
During the past year (1858) there were registered in this district 409 deaths.
This number is greater by 34 than that recorded in the previous year. But if allowance
be made for the rapid increase of population in this district, moreover considerably
augmented by the increasing resort of invalids and persons in a precarious state of health,
we may, I think, come to the satisfactory conclusion that little or no proportionate
difference exists between the mortality tables of 1857 and 1858.
The deaths were divided as nearly as possible between males and females, 206 having
occurred amongst the former, and 203 amongst the latter.
162 occurred in children under 5 years of age.
29 occurred in children between 5 and 10.
5 occurred in persons between 10 and 15.
7 ditto ditto 15 and 20.
25 ditto ditto 20 and 30.
21 ditto ditto 30 and 40.
31 ditto ditto 40 and 50.
34 ditto ditto 50 and 60.
36 ditto ditto 60 and 70.
60 ditto above 70 years.
Deaths are most numerous at the extremes of life, nearly half in this district having
occurred in children under 10 years of age, and rather less than one-fourth in those
above 60 years of age, during the past year. From the tenderness and delicacy of
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