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

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Shoreditch 1864

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch, Parish of St. Leonard]

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222 cases; to these might be added G8 deaths, which it was possible to
separate from the general description under the designation of Apoplexy.
6.—Another order of deaths which might appear to belong to Brain
diseases is Convulsions; under this separate head are classed 151
deaths, no less than 146 of these being of children under the age of 5.
But Convulsions are so frequently dependent upon Scrofula, that probably
the great majority of these 146 cases ought to be referred to the
next head. 7.—Scrofula, Tabes Mesenterica, and Hydrocuphabus,
under these names, all being varieties of manifestation of one constitutional
disorder, 187 deaths are classed. 8.—157 deaths are attributed
to measles. 9.—153 deaths are attributed to Old Age; of these, 27
occurred in St. Lukes' Workhouse. 10.—Fever, under Avliich generic
name are embraced Typhoid and Typhus, and certainly, also some cases
which in strict medical sense have no title to be called Fever—is assigned
as the cause of 140 deaths, of which 38 occured in St. Lukes' Workhouse.
11.—Under the vague names of Atrophy and Debility are ranged 132
deaths, 102 of them being under the age of 1 year, with these might be
associated 57 deaths of children prematurely born, and 6 deaths of
infants born with such malformations as were incompatible with life.
These 57 deaths from premature birth are far from representing the
total number of infants that perish either from primary defect of
organization, of congenital disease, or from difficulties attending birth.
From these and other causes, many children are born dead. They are
not registered. Thus an important element for sanitary or hygienic
study is in great measure withdrawn from observation. Vital statistics
can never be complete or admit of satisfactory comparison between
different countries, until the still-born children are registered. From
my own inquiries, based upon large data, I conclude that the stillbirths
are not less than 3 per cent.; that is, of all births at maturity or approaching
maturity, and taking no account of abortions or miscarriages.
12.—Diarriœa was the cause of death in 132 cases, of which 120 were
of infants under 5 years. 13.—125 deaths were due to Whoopingcough,
another disease almost exclusively fatal to young children.
14.—Diseases of the Heart caused 121 deaths. 15.—Various forms
of Lung diseases, mostly Chronic and affecting persons past middle