London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Battersea 1904
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1904
This page requires JavaScript
TABLE I.
Birth-rate per 1,000 Population.
| Year. | The Borough. | East Battersea. | North-West Battersea. | South-West Battersea. | London. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894 | 31.4 | 32.6 | 36.6 | 23.2 | 30.2 |
| 1895 | 32.3 | 34.3 | 37.9 | 22.2 | 30.6 |
| 1896 | 32.4 | 34.8 | 37.8 | 22.2 | 30.2 |
| 1897 | 31.7 | 33.8 | 36.6 | 22.7 | 30.2 |
| 1898 | 30.9 | 33.6 | 35.0 | 21.9 | 29.7 |
| 1899 | 30.9 | 33.6 | 36.0 | 21.0 | 29.6 |
| 1900 | 30.6 | 33.5 | 35.2 | 21.3 | 29.2 |
| 1901 | 29.7 | 32.6 | 33.3 | 21.3 | 29.0 |
| 1902 | 28.2 | 30.3 | 33.1 | 20.2 | 29.0 |
| 1903 | 28.6 | 31.3 | 34.1 | 19.4 | 28.4 |
| Average 1894-1903 | 30.6 | 33.0 | 35.5 | 21.5 | 29.6 |
| 1904 | 27.5 | 30.4 | 31.9 | 19.5 | 27.8 |
The birth-rate in 1904 is the lowest ever recorded in
Battersea. It will be seen from the above table that there has
been a very considerable decline in the birth-rate in each of the
sub-districts during the decennium, especially since the year
1900. The rate varies greatly in the three sub-districts, being
lowest in South-West Battersea, where the standard of comfort
is highest, and highest in North-West Battersea, the district
in which there is the greatest poverty.
The following table shows the birth-rate in England and
Wales, in London and in Battersea since 1875:—