London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Battersea 1902
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1903
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TABLE IV. Death-Rate per 1,000 Population.
| Year. | The Borough. | East Battersea. | North-West Battersea. | South-West Battersea. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1893 | 18.9 | 21.0 | 21.4 | 11.9 |
| 1894 | 16.1 | 16.6 | 19.5 | 10.8 |
| 1895 | 18.1 | 19.9 | 21.1 | 11.7 |
| 1896 | 18.1 | 20.5 | 21.3 | 10.4 |
| 1897 | 16.4 | 17.6 | 20.2 | 10.4 |
| 1898 | 17.3 | 19.4 | 20.4 | 10.5 |
| 1899 | 17.3 | 19.6 | 19.1 | 11.7 |
| 1900 | 17.6 | 18.9 | 21.0 | 12.1 |
| 1901 | 16.3 | 16.4 | 18.7 | 11.9 |
| 1902 | 15.0 | 15.5 | 18.3 | 10.9 |
| Average 1893-1902 | 17.1 | 18.5 | 20.1 | 11.2 |
| 1903 | 14.2 | 15.0 | 17.1 | 10.3 |
The death-rates given above are " recorded " death-rates
that is to say they express the proportion of deaths to each
thousand of the population. The recorded death-rate is a
valuable test of vitality, but for comparing one district with
another it is open to criticism unless the districts have a similar
distribution of population as regards age and sex. The
mortality amongst young children and old people is very much
higher than amongst young adults, and, generally speaking,
males have a higher death-rate than females. Consequently,
a district with a large proportion of young adults and females
will have a lower death-rate than one containing a greater
proportion of children, old people and males.