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
Hampstead 1909
Report for the year 1909 of the Medical Officer of Health
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The following are the infantile mortality rates for each of the Wards:—
| WARD. | Deaths of Infantsunder 1 year per 1000 births. |
|---|---|
| No. 1 (Town) | 76.5 |
| No. 2 (Belsize) | 78.4 |
| No. 3 (Adelaide) | 48.2 |
| No. 4 (Central) | 25.9 |
| No. 5 (West End) | 54.4 |
| No. 6 (Kilburn) | 108.5 |
| No. 7 (Priory) | 73.8 |
The infantile mortality rate in 1903 was slightly higher than
in the previous year, the increase being chiefly due to an outbreak
of whooping cough in the early part of the year, when the weather was
exceptionally unfavourable to recovery. This disease caused 10 deaths
in infants under one year in 1909 as against 3 in 1908. Three deaths
from .Measles occurred among infants in 1909, there being no infantile
death from this cause in 1908. The deaths from premature birth and
congenital defects increased from 20 in 1908 to 24 in 1909. It is
satisfactory to note that the deaths from diarrhœal diseases fell from
16 in 1908 to 6 in 1909. These are the diseases that are chiefly affected
by the health visiting work that has been carried out in Hampstead in
recent years, and the fall in the mortality from these diseases is evidence
that this work is yielding satisfactory results.
The following table, which is issued by the Registrar-General,
shows the infantile mortality in each of the Metropolitan Boroughs and
in the County of London:—