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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

St Martin-in-the-Fields 1891

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

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Table: TABLE X.Copied from theRegistrar-General's AnnualSummary of Births,Deaths, and causes of deathinLondon for the year1891.DIMINUTIONor EXCESS of DEATHS in 1891, compared withAnnual Deaths in 1881-90.

TABLE X.

Copied from theRegistrar-General's AnnualSummary of Births,

Deaths, and causes of deathinLondon for the year1891.

DIMINUTIONor EXCESS of DEATHS in 1891, compared with

Annual Deaths in 1881-90.

Cause of Death.Diminution in 1891.Excess in 1891.
Small-pox585-
Measles871-
Scarlet Fever805-
Typhus27-
Influenza-2,262
Whooping Cough29-
Diphtheria-262
Simple and Ill-defined Fever31-
Enteric Fever238-
Diarrhœal Diseases703-
Cancer-412
Phthisis and Tubercular Diseases515-
Premature Birth-359
Diseases of Nervous System43-
Diseases of Circulatory System-1,099
Diseases of Respiratory System (including Croup)-4,103
Diseases of Urinary System-232
Childbirth and Puerperal Fever--
Accident-90
Murder, Manslaughter12—
Suicide-43
All other Causes853-
4,7128,859
Balance of Diminution and Excess-4,147

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Shows in a summary form the amount of life saved and the amount lost in the
year, as compared with the preceding deccnnium, unuer each of the more
important headings in the list of causes.
The net loss in the year amounted to no less than 4,147 lives, that is to way
had the death-rate in the year been only equal to the average in the preceding
deccnnium 4,147 fewer persons would have died in London than was actually
the ease. The excess,as shown in the Table, was under many headings, some of which
as Diphtheria, Cancer, Premature Birth, Diseases of the Circulatory, and of the
Urinary Organs, have shown similar excesses for many successive years, and
appear to be persistently increasing. But there arc others under which the
increase is attributable to temporary causes, and among them the most note-
worthy is Influenza; for, while more than one half of the whole net incressed
mortality was registered under this heading, it can scarcely be doubted that the
main part of the enormous increase under Diseases of the Respiratory Organs,
and some part of that under Diseases of the Circulatory System and other
headings, was in reality determined by the same cause as were the deaths
directly attributed to Influenza.