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

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St George (Southwark) 1880

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark]

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Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health—1880—81. 11
closing of the Queen's Bench Prison, and by the Metropolitan Board of Works having
closed many of the houses in the Green Street area, and also in the Mint; and I trust
it will not be long before these areas are completely demolished, and decent houses erected
in their place, but not Industrial dwellings.
The Death rate therefore has been 22—2, which is the same as that given by the
Registrar General for the whole of London; so that I think we can compare] favourably
with the neighbouring Parishes.
The Death rate in the first quarter of the year for the whole of London was 21—8.
So low a Death rate in a corresponding quarter has not been recorded since 1856. This
is the more remarkable on account of the exceptionally severe frosts that prevailed during
the greater part of January, and also an exceptionally heavy fall of snow.
We have a right to infer that this low death rate is in some measure due to the
sanitary efforts of the last few years, especially so when it is borne in mind that the natural
tendency of any large Parish if left to itself is not to become healthier, but to deteriorate,
owing to the increasing density of its population, and the consequent increasing pollution
of the air; and we cannot help looking with anxiety as to the result of massing a large number
of human beings in the huge buildings which are being built near us.

1st.—Monies Owing to the Vestry. FROM THE OVERSEERS.

In respect of General Rate, Balance of Orders701186
„ Sewers Rate „3021
„ Metropolitan Consolidated Rate52140
2nd.—Liabilities of the Vestry.
The Debt incurred by the late South District Board200000
Compensation Annuity, viz:—G. Ware, Esq., Life per Annum12100
The Globe Insurance Company, Loan, (20,000) payable by Annual Instalments of £1000 on the 23rd of April in each year700000
George Crawshay, Esq., Loan, (5,500) Payable by Half-yearly Instalments of £275 on the 1st April and 1st Ootober in each year110000
The Metropolitan Board of Works, Loan Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6 & 71277500
Limmer Asphalte Paving Company Limited (Residue of £9855 14s. 8d.)246711
The Metropolitan Board of Works, Metropolitan Consolidated Rate Precept, 18815879167
The School Board for London, Probable Precept, 1881650000

The principal diseases of the Respiratory organs, viz : Bronchitis and Pneumonia,
caused 168 and 84 deaths respectively, of those 152 were under five years, and 122 over
fifty, showing that thesa diseases appear most fatal at the extremes of life.
TABLE No. 2.
1875-6
1876-7
1877-8
1879-80
1880-81
Bronchitis
192
181
186
260
168
Pneumonia
94
73
76
73
84