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
Chelsea 1911
Annual report for 1911 of the Medical Officer of Health
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Table VII.—For the Year 1911.
| Birth-rate. | Death-rate. | Zymotic Death-rate. | Tubercular Diseases Death-rate. | Deaths under one year to 1,000 births. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 18.8 | 15.7 | 0.99 | 1.86 | 112 |
| Borough Council Dwellings | 25.9 | 9.5 | 2.05 | 0.68 | 53 |
| Industrial Dwellings | 22.3 | 13.7 | 1.72 | 0.57 | 180 |
| 10 Poor-class Streets | 35.0 | 24.5 | 3.43 | 4.41 | 161 |
As in previous years, the death-rate in the Borough Council's
Dwellings is again a very low one. The diseases included in the
zymotic death-rate for these Dwellings are one fatal case of measles and
two fatal cases of diarrhœa. The contrast between the health conditions
prevailing in the Council's Dwellings and those characteristic of the
10 poor-class streets is a very striking one.
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The year 1911 was notable for its high summer temperature,
causing excessive prevalence of summer infantile diarrhœa. Chiefly
owing to this cause the rate of infantile mortality (deaths of infants
under one year of age to 1,000 births) rose from 102 in 1910 to 112
in 1911.
Table VIII.
| Year. | Chelsea. | London. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths under one to 1,000 births. | Deaths 1—5 years. | Deaths under one to 1,000 births. | Deaths 1—5 years. | |||||
| 1901 | 139 | 146 | 101 | 112 | 150 | 142 | 9,514 | 9,209 |
| 1902 | 145 | 151 | 141 | 9,893 | ||||
| 1903 | 144 | 94 | 131 | 8,514 | ||||
| 1904 | 155 | 102 | 145 | 8,915 | ||||
| 1905 | 116 | 121 | 65 | 88 | 131 | 124 | 8,209 | 8,122 |
| 1906 | 140 | 122 | 133 | 8,639 | ||||
| 1907 | 122 | 101 | 118 | 8,435 | ||||
| 1908 | 108 | 64 | 115 | 7,207 | ||||
| 1909 | 107 | 85 | 107 | 7,555 | ||||
| 1910 | 102 | 63 | 102 | 6,807 | ||||
| 1911 | 112 | 77 | 128 | 7,804 | ||||
The figure 112 is, however, a very good one, having regard to the
adverse conditions affecting infant life in the excessively hot summer
of 1911, and also having regard to the prevalence of measles in
the early part of the year. Table VIII. shows that in the years 1904