The Morning Chronicle published weekly accounts of the general health of the people of the metropolis. This is an interesting and particularly in-depth analysis and although only loosely connected with our “Labour and the Poor” series, it gives an insight into the kind of information presented to the public. The public had a keen focus on the spread of disease, especially with epidemics such as the 1848-1849 cholera outbreak only just starting to decline.
The Morning Chronicle, Wednesday, December 26, 1849.
HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.
[FROM THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL’S RETURN.]
In the metropolitan districts the deaths registered in the week ending last Saturday were 1,043; the weekly average of the last quarter of five previous years, corrected for increase of population, is 1,162. In the corresponding week of the year 1846, 1,276 deaths were returned; in that of 1847, 1,946 deaths, when the mortality was increased by influenza; and in the same week of 1848 the deaths were 1,118. But though still considerably less than usual, the weekly contingent now shows a tendency to rise to the winter rate of mortality, and the present return shows an increase of 41 on the deaths of the previous week. In three successive weeks, ending December 15, the deaths from bronchitis were respectively 60, 86, 89; last week they rose to 110, whilst the average is only 68; from asthma there were were 21, 16, 26, and 19, in the last four weeks; and from pneumonia (or inflammation of the lungs), 94, 88, 90, and 81. The mortality from pneumonia, which is less than the average, occurs to a much greater extent among children than aged persons; and the latter class are now the principal sufferers from the increased coldness of the weather. Three men and five women died last week at 90 years and upwards; two of the women had turned 95 years. From diarrhœa and dysentery the deaths were 19; a woman of 70 died on the 16th December, in Great Pulteney-street, from debility which succeeded an attack of cholera. All epidemics are less fatal than usual, except measles, which rather exceeds the average.
The most important particulars registered of each case of cholera were published, week by week, in the tables, as this not only assisted the various officers engaged in preventing and treating the disease, but put the facts within the reach of all those who were studying the nature and causes of the epidemic. Data were thus published which will show the influence of sex, age, season, locality, water, drainage, occupation, wealth, or poverty. It is gratifying to find that, in addition to the analyses which have been already drawn up at the General Register-office, others have been undertaken by private inquirers; and Dr. Guy has favoured the Registrar-general with the following account of the professions or occupations of 4,312 men of the age of 15 and upwards who were destroyed by cholera. It will be seen that the disease in London was not only fatal to the poor, but to many artisans, tradesmen, shopkeepers, professional people, and persons of independent means. Of the men who died of cholera, 135 were returned simply as gentlemen or of independent means, 6 were clergymen or ministers of religion, 16 medical men, 13 magistrates or lawyers, 11 architects or engineers, 11 merchants, 11 officers in the army and navy, 25 master mariners, 100 clerks or accountants, 11 Custom-house, 7 Excise officers, 14 builders, 14 booksellers, &c., 14 carpenters, undertakers, &c., 13 cheesemongers, 17 drapers, &c., 11 fishmongers, 12 fruiterers, 20 grocers, 13 oilmen, 42 licensed victuallers, 5 wine merchants, 8 master shoemakers, 6 master tailors, 6 tobacconists, 19 travellers. Of the classes returned as artisans and labourers, 52 were bakers, 32 butchers, 102 weavers, 80 tailors, 151 shoemakers, 47 bricklayers, 17 masons, 20 plasterers, 70 cabinet makers, 111 carpenters, 28 coopers, 73 painters and plumbers, 33 sawyers, 20 shipwrights, 22 tanners, 18 turners, 16 coachmakers, 35 cabmen, 57 coachmen and cabmen, 15 saddlers, 52 carmen and carriers, 37 grooms and ostlers, 6 drovers, 44 engineers, 10 railway guards, 13 stokers, 16 letter carriers and postmen, 99 porters or messengers, 24 policemen, 7 watchmen, 62 soldiers, 299 sailors and Greenwich pensioners, 27 watermen, 18 bargemen, 7 ballast heavers, 53 coal porters and coal heavers, 25 footmen and man servants; 756 labourers are returned.
Dr. Guy has given in the table “a rough approximation to the ratio which the deaths bear to the living” in the several occupations. This determination is as difficult as it is interesting. The occupations were only returned for the metropolis in a very general way by the Census Commissioners in 1841, and in which the trades masters were not distinguished from men. The results which deserve most attention are those which relate to well-defined, numerous occupations.
“Labourer,” “Gentleman,” “Manservant,” are terms very loosely employed; but the statement that 1 in 67 labourers, 1 in 200 gentlemen, and 1 in 1,572 manservants, including footmen, died of cholera, expresses something near the risk incurred by the three classes in the epidemic. The domestic manservants of London were 39,300 in 1841, and 25 died of cholera; the clergy, doctors, and lawyers did not exceed 12,000, yet 35 persons belonging to the learned professions died of cholera in 1849.
In the weekly returns, from which the statement is drawn up, the professions were not uniformly given; but the abstract will be made more complete afterwards from the register books.
The mean daily reading of the barometer at Greenwich Observatory was above 30 inches on the last three days of the week; the mean of the week was 29·952. The daily mean temperature, which was 51° on Sunday, gradually fell to 33° on Friday and Saturday; the mean of the week was 42°, rather more than the average of the same week in seven years. The daily mean was about 10° above the average on Sunday and Tuesday, and 6° below it on Friday.
The following is the table referred to in the above report, as prefaced by Dr. Guy:—
Abstract of the occupations of 4,312 males, 15 years of age and upwards, who died of cholera in London during the years 1848-9; together with a rough approximation to the ratio which the deaths bear to the living. This ratio is obtained, in the case of tradesmen, by dividing the number following each trade (as given in the Post-office Directory for 1840) by the number of deaths; and, in the case of all the other classes, by dividing the number of the living in each class, as returned by the census of 1841), by the number of deaths. In the case of such of the working-class as follow occupations of the same name with that borne by tradesmen, the number of the living is obtained by subtracting the number of tradesmen from the total given in the census, such total comprising both the employers and the employed. The table comprises the inmates of workhouses, hospitals, and asylums, who were returned as having definite occupations.
Number of Deaths. Ratio. 135 1 in 200 6 1 in 213 16 1 in 265 13 1 in 375 35 1 in 297 11 1 in 115 14 1 in 118 11 1 in 348 11 … 8 … TRADESMEN (MASTERS, &c). 12 1 in 49 1 1 in 266 8 1 in 133 2 1 in 165 1 1 in 160 14 1 in 39 14 1 in 96 6 1 in 170 8 1 in 123 5 … 14 1 in 110 13 1 in 51 7 1 in 86 2 … 5 1 in 51 100 … 3 1 in 85 6 1 in 85 5 1 in 85 8 1 in 20 11 … 17 1 in 71 2 1 in 112 3 1 in 36 5 1 in 6 7 … 8 … 11 1 in 20 12 … 12 1 in 28 4 … 32 … 20 1 in 65 3 1 in 143 7 1 in 53 5 1 in 37 25 … 4 … 13 1 in 46 3 1 in 142 2 1 in 15 2 1 in 127 4 1 in 64 4 … 3 1 in 32 42 1 in 63 1 1 in 250 2 1 in 30 7 … 7 … 8 1 in 120 6 1 in 233 19 … 6 1 in 75 2 1 in 50 2 1 in 55 1 1 in 80 5 1 in 170 34 … ARTISANS AND LABOURERS. 8 … 52 1 in 148 7 1 in 24 18 1 in 126 8 … 7 1 in 96 5 … 5 … 47 1 in 143 12 1 in 67 3 1 in 318 3 1 in 166 18 1 in 150 11 1 in 153 32 1 in 174 70 1 in 89 35 … 52 1 in 74 111 1 in 155 9 1 in 219 7 … 9 1 in 109 4 … 57 1 in 95 16 1 in 262 53 1 in 32 21 … 11 1 in 106 36 … 28 1 in 124 2 1 in 279 24 1 in 95 6 1 in 106 3 1 in 148 10 … 13 … 6 1 in 54 6 1 in 39 7 1 in 230 44 1 in 94 9 1 in 199 12 1 in 106 2 1 in 80 6 1 in 93 25 1 in 1572 10 1 in 12 6 1 in 157 6 1 in 116 48 1 in 93 8 1 in 54 8 1 in 126 3 … 3 1 in 98 37 1 in 75 7 1 in 143 13 1 in 154 26 1 in 92 67 1 in 22 2 1 in 187 6 1 in 583 756 1 in 65 6 … 2 1 in 80 6 … 20 1 in 75 3 1 in 48 3 1 in 117 17 1 in 204 1 1 in 192 2 1 in 120 14 1 in 143 3 1 in 41 6 … 2 1 in 266 2 1 in 151 73 1 in 144 8 1 in 136 20 1 in 129 64 … 24 1 in 208 4 1 in 36 99 1 in 131 6 1 in 52 61 1 in 105 2 1 in 54 10 … 12 1 in 88 299 1 in 24 15 1 in 133 33 1 in 90 2 1 in 60 20 1 in 105 2 … 151 1 in 162 35 … 62 1 in 105 62 … 13 … 4 1 in 152 80 1 in 244 22 1 in 39 2 1 in 430 7 1 in 178 6 1 in 75 3 1 in 56 4 1 in 76 18 1 in 83 1 1 in 390 3 1 in 176 2 1 in 325 14 … 7 … 27 1 in 61 2 … 8 1 in 472 11 1 in 364 102 1 in 36 8 1 in 294 3 1 in 82 3 1 in 171 2 1 in 85 3 1 in 61 4 … 75 … Subtract as entered twice 4,342 … 30 … 4,312 … No attempt is made to correct for increase or decrease of population since 1841; and the persons of the several occupations returned in the metropolis by the Census Commissioners do not include those of Wandsworth, Hampstead, or Lewisham.
The Morning Chronicle, Wednesday, December 26, 1849.