Hackney Union Infirmary

© City of London/London Metropolitan Archives

Hackney Union Infirmary

By Sue Kinder

In the 1880s the Hackney Union Infirmary had approximately 350 patients. Some of the reasons for admission to the Infirmary were:

Eczema, syphilis, childbirth, paralysis, blindness, whooping cough, leg ulcers, gout, epilepsy, erysipelas (an acute bacterial skin infection), apoplexy, phthisis (TB of the lungs), onanism (masturbation), scabies, gonorrhoea, alcoholism, orchitis (inflammation of the testis, often resulting from mumps), marasmus (emaciation resulting from malnutrition), senile decay, mental despondency, and scrofula (TB of the lymph glands).

During the midsummer quarter, on average there were 16 admittances and four deaths per week in the infirmary:

Ann Lawson, charwoman, aged 72, was admitted on 28 March 1880 with ‘vertigo’. She died on the 3 April.

Sarah Walker, midwife, aged 48, was admitted with chronic diarrhoea on 2 April 1880. She died on 29 April.

Elizabeth Sutton, born November 1878, was admitted with croup on 8 April 1880. She died on the 9 April.

Elizabeth's twin John was admitted with bronchitis on 26 April 1880. He died on the 10 May.

Emma Christian was born to a workhouse inmate ‘Mary’ on 5 June 1880. On 7 June baby Emma died.

Eliza Oakman, servant, aged 26, was admitted in labour on 15 May 1880. On Friday 4 June Eliza and her baby Emily Alice were discharged.

Herbert Hewitt was admitted with febricula (a mild fever) on 22 June 1881. On 23 June he was sent to Eastern Fever and Smallpox Hospital.

Elizabeth Rosina Roberts, born March 1880, was admitted from the workhouse on 27 June 1881 with whooping cough. She died on 30 June 1881. Two other children aged 4 and 7 were also admitted with whooping cough that day, but both recovered and returned to the workhouse on 7 July.

James Oram, labourer, aged 22, was admitted on 18 July 1881, with an injury to the foot.

Sarah Oram, servant, aged 20, was admitted from the workhouse on 29 July with her baby Alice, aged 5 months, who had whooping cough. Alice returned to the workhouse on 20 September, after 7½ weeks in the infirmary.