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
Bethnal Green 1919
Report on the sanitary condition and vital statistics during the year 1919
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17
ENCEPHALITIS LETHARGICA.
Six cases of this obscure and "new" disease were
notified, but in only two or three cases was the disease
present, the other cases being mistaken in diagnosis.
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
218 deaths of Bethnal Green infants under one
year of age took place during the year. This is equal
to a rate of infantile mortality of 85 per 1,000 births.
Comparison with previous years is as follows:—
| Comparison with previous years is as follows:— | |
| 1913 | 117.5 |
| 1914 | 137.0 |
| 1915 | 118.0 |
| 1916 | 106.0 |
| 1917 | 110.3 |
| 1918 | 130.2 |
Owing to a great increase in the birth rate in the
latter half of the year, the above figure of 85 while
statistically correct is rather too low if taken as an
index of infantile healthiness.
Of the 218 deaths, 50 were due to Prematurity
and 58 were due to Diarrhoea and Enteritis. Only 5
deaths were certified as being due to Measles, although
some of the 30 deaths ascribed to Bronchitis or Pneumonia
were probably secondary to Measles.