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 1862
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham]
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at Bell Green, in a house occupied by Mr. Palmer, grocer, &c. The sewage from the
adjoining houses, belonging to Mr. Sugden, empties into a cesspool, which, I am
informed, occasionally overflows into the cellars and basements of the adjoining houses.
In this instance it found its way into the cellar of Mr. Palmer, from which it had to be
baled; and no doubt has caused the disease from which he is suffering.
A number of pigs, and accumulations of manure and refuse, exist at the backs of
houses in the High Street, Sydenham, which require your order for the removal.
A heap of cinders and offensive decomposing animal and vegetable refuse lies exposed
in a garden at Park End, and is a source of annoyance to the neighbouring inhabitants.
This lias been several times complained of.
As cinder heaps contain a quantity of vegetable matter and refuse of various descriptions
from dwelling-houses, it is important that they should be enclosed in covered
receptacles, in which the presence of the carbonaceous matter of the cinders in a dry
state tends to retard decomposition ; but when exposed to moisture and air, these heaps
decompose rapidly, and become an offensive nuisance and one dangerous to health.
Meteorological tables and tables of mortality arc appended as usual.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
| 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. | |||||
| April 26 | 29.729 | 75°0 | 43° 1 | 54°2 | S.W. | 5 | 0.64 |
| May 3 | 29.966 | 77.0 | 37.8 | 53.6 | Variable. | 1 | 0.11 |
| 10 | 29.667 | 81.5 | 46.1 | 57.5 | S.W. | 7 | 1.46 |
| 17 | 29.714 | 68.5 | 43.1 | 51.9 | N.E. | 3 | 0.92 |
| 24 | 29.698 | 75.4 | 39.1 | 55.6 | S.W. | 2 | 0.19 |
JUNE.
| DISTRICTS. | BIRTHS. | DEATHS. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| Blackheath | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Lewisham | 15 | 11 | 26 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Union Workhouse | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Sydenham | 13 | 15 | 28 | 6 | 4 | 9 |
| Penge | 5 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| King Wm.'s Naval Asylum | — | — | — | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 37 | 39 | 76 | 19 | 13 | 32 |
Gentlemen,
During the four weeks from 23rd August to 20th September, 71 births and 38 deaths
have been registered.
The amount of mortality is in excess of that registered last year, but considerably
below the average calculated for the corresponding month during the last seven years.
Nine deaths have taken place from epidemic disease, viz.:
25th August. Diarrhœa, Dartmouth Terrace, Blackheath.
31st „ Diarrhœa, Grote's Place, Blackheath.
8th Sept. Diarrhœa, Cross Street, Lewisham.
21st August. Diarrhœa, Lower Sydenham, Sydenham.
3rd Sept. Scarlet fever, Sydenham Park, Sydenham.
3rd „ Fever, Edney Street, "Wells Road.
4th „ Scarlet fever, Wells Road.
14th „ Typhoid fever, Ivy Cottage.
1st „ Typhus, Maple Road, Penge.
Scarlet fever has been rather prevalent, and a few cases of measles have occurred.