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

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St Martin-in-the-Fields 1861

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Martin-in-the-Fields]

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24
longevity of our parishioners, for among them there
were 32 who had passed the age of 80. In the mortality
of the intervening ages from 5 to 60, we arrive
at the real evidence, from which we may draw conclusions
in relation to the premature destruction of
human life by disease. Perhaps the real test of the
salubrity of a district would be more correctly estimated
from a record of deaths and diseases during the
active ages of life. If sanitary science was properly
valued and understood the ravages of disease at ages
between 5 years and 60 might be very materially
diminished. I give a table of the causes of death at
these ages:—

Mortality in the Parish of St. Martin-in-the-Fields at Ages from 5 to 60.

Total Deaths.Diseases.5 to 20.20 to 40.40 to 60.
1Whooping Cough1....
6Fever231
1Rheumatic Fever..1..
3Delirium Tremens..21
1Dropsy....1
6Cancer..15
2Mortification..11
63Consumption83718
6Apoplexy....6
8Paralysis..17
10Diseases of Brain343
16„ Heart2311
54„ Lungs31239
15„ Digestive Organs168
7„ Kidney..25
4Fractures1..3
3Burns1....
2Suicide..2..
1Poison..1..
4Drowning3..1

I have appended to my report the following
list of