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REPORT
to
The Board of Works for the Lewisham District
TO THE END OF THE YEAR 1898,
by
Dr. S. BLAKE JOLLY,
Medical Officer of Health for the District.
Gentlemen,
The number of deaths in the Lewisham District during
the year 1898 was 1670 as compared with 1370 in 1897,
being an increase of 300. The corrected death rate for
1898 was 14.0 per 1000, as compared with 12.2 per 1000
in 1897, which was the lowest on record. The increase in
the number of deaths is accounted for by the epidemic of
Influenza in the spring; the deaths from this disease
amounting to 36 in 1898, as compared with 12 and 11
respectively in 1896 and 1897; and also to the increase in
the deaths from zymotic disease from 218 in 1897 to 302 in
1898. This at first sight seems alarming; but it will be
seen from the Tables that the increase was only in measles
and diarrhœa, and a slight increase in whooping cough.
The mortality from diarrhœa was very great among
children under one year during the excessive heat in August
and September. The deaths from the other zymotic diseases
show a decrease, there being only 29 deaths from diphtheria
in 1898, compared with 43 deaths in 1897 and 82 deaths in
1896. This decrease is, I feel sure, due to the early use of
antitoxin, and also to early removal of cases to hospital.
The deaths from typhoid also decreased from 10 in 1897 to