London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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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
Islington 1907
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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1907]
76
1897-06. The number of deaths from other diarrhœal diseases, such as Epidemic
Enteritis was 102, thus making a total of 205 deaths from these diseases.
These satisfactory returns are due entirely to the favourable meteorological
conditions that prevailed during the third quarter, for in the first quarter of
the year diarrhœal deaths were 4 above the corrected average of the corresponding
quarters of the preceding ten years; in the second quarter they were 6
above it; and in the fourth they were 26. The reduced mortality
is highly gratifying, particularly as it is almost entirely among infants that these
deaths occur.
Table L.
| Sub-Districts. | 1st Quarter. | 2nd Quarter. | 3rd Quarter. | 4th Quarter. | Whole Year. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tufnell | 012 | . . | .. | . . | 0.03 |
| Upper Holloway | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Tollington | .. | on | .. | .. | 0 03 |
| Lower Holloway | .. | .. | 0 09 | 002 | |
| Highbury | .. | 0.06 | .. | 0.12 | 0.04 |
| Barnsbury | 0 .07 | .. | 0.07 | 0.15 | 0.07 |
| Islington, South East | 0.05 | .. | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.04 |
| The Borough | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.06 | 0.04 |
The meteorological circumstances which procured a decreased diarrhœal
mortality during the third quarter were a decreased mean temperature, an
increased rainfall, and an increased number of dayson which rain fell, a decreased
number of hours of sunshine, and a decreased temperature of the earth at a
depth of 4 feet. Each one of these meteorological items in itself tended to
check fermentive action, and therefore had a restraining effect on diarrhoea, the
germ of which is most certainly influenced by heat, especially by the heat of the
earth's crust.