[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham].

  • Lewisham (London, England). Board of Works.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: City of London, London Metropolitan Archives

    22/31 (page 19)
    19 from some little distance, and in every case have to throw water down to clcanse the closet pans; in these cases drainage is useless, because inaffective. The drains have not been properly flushed, and from the small quantity of rain which has fallen for the last few months, the drain traps are unstopped, and to the leakage of drain gas affecting those morbidly disposed, is to be attributed the occurrence of the disease. The number of pigs also kept in that locality was noted in my last report. Appended is a note from Mr. Beale, of Lower Sydenham, in consequence of which, on the 12th inst. I examined the nuisance complained of. A stream of offensive sewage was running in the ditch at the bottom of the meadow, some 300 yards from the house ; a pond into which the stream empties itself, is full of black semi-solid sewage (in fact a large open cesspool), out of which the stream overflows into the adjoining properties. By reference to my report for May, 1860, you will observe that I pointed out to you what would take place if the sewage were allowed to run in this direction ; it has now become a most offensive nuisance. A gully near Forest Hill Station is every offensive, and requires trapping. Meteorological tables and tables of mortality arc appended as usual. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. Week ending Weight of air. Barometer corrected. Mean inches. Temperature of Air. Thermometer. Prevailing winds. Rainy days. Amount of rain in inches. Highest. Lowest. Mean of daily readings. Aug. 31 29.995 80.0 46.2 62.5 W. 0 0.00 Sept. 7 29.776 81.1 49.8 62.4 S.W. 2 0.11 14 29.810 74.3 39.2 57.2 S.W. 3 0.15 21 29.820 71.8 39.4 54.4 S.W. 4 0.25 OCTOBER. DISTRICTS. BIRTHS. DEATHS. Males. Females. Total. Males. Females. Total. Blackheath 2 5 7 7 7 14 Lewisham 9 12 21 3 8 11 Union Workhouse — — — 2 2 4 Sydenham 13 14 27 7 8 15 Penge 10 7 17 1 2 3 Watermen's Asylum — — 1 0 1 Total 34 38 72 21 27 48 Gentlemen, The mortality of the district is much greater than during the same period of last year. The death returns during four weeks ending 20th October, 1860, being twenty five. The returns during five weeks ending upon the 26th of this month, being forty eight. An increase has taken place in the number of deaths referred to the zymotic class of disease (that class in which sanitary measures can be successfully employed in the way of prevention), ten deaths being registered from this class of disease; whereas in 1860, only one death was referred to this class. Thus in Blackheath— 26th Sept. Female, 89, diarrhoea, The Pitts.