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

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Clerkenwell 1883

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Clerkenwell, St. James and St. John]

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100
APPENDIX III.
Extract from the Medical Officer's Report for 1863.
The following Table will serve to show the comparative mortality
of Clerkenwell with that of the other Districts of the Metropolis. It
represents the mean proportion of deaths occurring anuually in 100,000
persons living, during the 10 years 1851-60, corrected for the deaths
in Hospitals by distributing them proportionally over the several
Districts, and corrected also for the deaths in Workhouses situated
out of the Districts to which they belong.
Rothbury
1,475
Newington
2,426
Hampstead
1,760
Greenwich
2,449
Lewisham
1,787
Strand
2,456
Hackney
1.880
West London
2,495
St. George, Hanover Sq.
1,891
Rotherhithe
2,527
Kensington
1,985
Stepney
2,553
Islington
2,095
Mile End
Wandsworth
2,194
Westminster
2,581
London (City)
2,222
Chelsea
2,615
Pancras
2,232
Bermondsey
2,638
St. James, Westminster
2,290
Holborn
2,641
Clerkenwell
2,309
St. Luke
2,736
Camberwell
2,319
St. George, Southwark
2,744
2,762
St. Martin-in-the-Fields
2,345
East London
Bethnal Green
2,352
Whitechapel
2,841
Lambeth
2,353
St. Giles
2,846
Poplar
2,359
St. Olave, Southwark
2,863
Marylebone
2,404
St. Saviour
Shoreditch
2,421
St. George-in-the-East
2,879
I have headed the Table with the mortality of the District of
Rothbury, in Northumberland, which is the smallest of any district in
Englaud and Wales; its population amounts to very nearly that of
our Goswell District. It is true that a rural district has many advantages
over a densely crowded manufacturing district. For, in it, the
inhabitants are scattered over more ground, and their habits are very
different; they rise early in the morning, retiring early at night, and
so avoiding the exposure to the excesses too often committed during
late hours. They also breathe a purer air; the mothers are strong
and hearty, and are enabled to suckle their children during the proper
period; while the mothers in crowded parishes are too closely confined
within doors; too often obliged to work and neglect their children,
whence these are fed upon improper food.