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

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St George (Southwark) 1879

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark]

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Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health—1879—1880 15
Tubercular diseases appear to show a healthier rate.
Of those who died 771 were under five years, 105 from five to twenty, 446 from twenty
to eighty, and 22 at eighty and over, and 1 at a hundred.
108 Inquests have been held.
Your Inspector Mr. Edwards, has been vigilant with regard to Adulterations, and
has been able to obtain convictions in many cases against dealers, for impure Milk, but I
fear that the wholesale dealers are often the guilty parties.
Dr. Frankland reports that the water has not been free from organic impurities
and says that it is desirable that the wholesome water drawn from the deep wells should
be substituted for that portion taken from polluted rivers.
I could wish that the Companies would use other means of obtaining payment than
by cutting off the supply, hence leaving houses often a fortnight and more without water,
which cannot be conducive to health and cleanliness.
The Slaughter and Cow houses have been regularly inspected.
I must congratulate the Vestry on having completed the Mortuary, a most necessary
work; and trust it will be the means of stopping the spread of infectious diseases by
enabling us to remove bodies that have died from certain diseases, from overcrowded
houses, and thus prevent sickness and death to the living.
THOS. H. WATERWORTH, M,D.
June 29th, 1880.

TABLE No. 4.

1879—80.BIRTHS.DEATHS.
Quarter ending June531320
Quarter ending September547287
514329
Quarter ending March669469

TABLE No. 5.

1875—61876—71877—81878—91879—80
First QuarterSecond QuarterThird QuarterFourth QuarterFirst QuarterSecond QuarterThird QuarterFourth Quarter jFirst QuarterSecond QuarterThird QuarterFourth QuarterFirst QuarterSecond QuarterThird QuarterFourth QuarterFirst QuarterSecond QuarterThird QuarterFourth Quarter
Small-pox..........•••......9171111365......1.........
Measles21151024216102947851148121333
Scarlatina1227241571676524713521113223723
Diphtheria522133...111...124341212
WhoopingCough35161027121061119151051423667361452
Diarrhœa74811284942940239884141931
Typhus365151432526475422••