[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St James's, Westminster 1897].

  • St. James, Westminster (London, England). Parish. Vestry.
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St James's, Westminster 1897]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: City of London, London Metropolitan Archives

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    * I ST. JAMES’ DISTRICT COUNCIL. Tuesday, Feb. 1.— Present: Mr. A. Orton, J.P. (in the chair), Mr. T. Whitford (vice-chairman), Mr. E. Lewis, Mr. J. H. Beasley, and Mr. E. Brimley. The Surveyor.—The Chairman reported that the Sur¬ veyor (Mr. J. Ingman) was unable to be present through illness.—This report contained nothing of special in¬ terest. MEDICAL OFFICER’S ANNUAL REPORT. Mr. John M. Bryan (Medical Officer) presented his annual report, which was read by the Clerk. It stated that the sanitary district covered 360 acres, in which there were 1,168 inhabited houses, with an estimated population of 5,840, compared with 4,159 at the census of 1891. During the year there had been 234 births (112 males, 122 females), the birth-rate being 40.07 per thousand living. The deaths numbered 109, equivalent to a death-rate of 18.66 per thousand of the population. The infant mortality under one year of age wTas 192.31 per thousand births. The zymotic deaths numbered 12, there were 12 from phthisis, and deaths from re¬ spiratory diseases totalled 28. The population had in¬ creased by 400 during the year; and the registered births had increased by 23 (the female children, exceed¬ ing the males by 10). The registered number of deaths at any age was 109, an increase of 39 on the year. Under one year of age the deaths numbered 45, an increase of 18. The death rate of infants under one year was 7.70 per thousand. There were 22 deaths above one year and under 5, three deaths between 5 soad 15 years, five between 15 and 25, 20 between 25 and 65, and 14 at 65 and upwards. Of these 109 deaths three resulted from scarlet fever (out of 59 cases), three from croup, one from puerperal fever, six from whooping cough, 18 from diarrhoea, 12 from phthisis, 25 from bronchitis and pneumonia, 14 from heart disease, eight from marasmus and convulsions, and 19 from all other diseases. There had been 69 cases of infectious disease reported during the year, of which 14 had occurred in the Duaton and 55 in the Dallington parish. These consisted of 59 scarlet fever, three of measles, two of diphtheria, three of erysipelas, one of croup, and one of puerperal fever. There had been no case of typhoid fever during the year. Besides St. James’ district there were only three other districts in the county which had not adopted the Notification Act, 1889, in the absence of which, the Medical Officer said, it was im¬ possible to determine with anything like accuracy the prevalence or extent of infectious disease or to check it before it became epidemic. The Council as yet bad no Infectious Hospital. The water supply, sewage disposal, and scavenging were satisfactory. The dwellings of the poorer classes were as a rule in good condition, but scarcely any of the closets were supplied with a flushing apparatus except those of the largest houses. Every closet, he said, should have a water cistern to properly flush it. The dairies, bakehouses, and slaughter-houses had all been visited and found in a satisfactory state. The Sanitary Inspector’s report enclosed showed that Mr. P. Higgins had made over 300 inspections during the year and had disinfected over 30 houses. There had been two cases of overcrowding, but no legal pro¬ ceedings had been found necessary. The sanitary state of the district was satisfactory.—The report yyas adopted on the motion of Mr. Whitford. - cne monthly meeting of the St. James’ District Council last evening Mr. J. M. Bryan, the Medical Officer of Health, presented his annual report, which was of an extremely satisfactory character. He esti¬ mated the birth rate at 40.07 per thousand, and the death rate 18.66 per thousand of the population The population had increased by 400, and there had not been a single case of typhoid fever during the year. The report of the Sanitary Inspector, also presented at this meeting, showed that Mr. Higgins bad made 300 inspections during the year. He found the sanitary state of the District satisfactory. The finances of the Council were also favourably reported upon. -— .ihmuu 1 I 1 9 ESTABLISHED FEBRUARY 16, 1880. /Registered at the 6eneral\ WEI ’ w • l Post Office. J XJJ