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 1945
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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The causes of death, arranged under the headings of the short list used by the Registrar-General, were as follows:—
| 1. Typhoid and paratyphoid fevers | – | |
| 2 Cerebro-spinal fever | 1 | |
| 3. Scarlet fever | – | |
| 4. Whooping cough | 5 | |
| 5. Diphtheria | – | |
| 6. Tuberculosis of the respiratory system | 62 | |
| 7 Other forms of tuberculosis | 5 | |
| 8. Syphilitic diseases | 9 | |
| 9. Influenza | 7 | |
| 10. Measles | – | |
| 11. Acute polio-myelitis and polio-encephalitis | – | |
| 12. Acute infective encephalitis | – | |
| 13. Cancer of bucal cavity and oesophagus (m): uterus (f) | 27 | 214 |
| 14. Cancer of stomach and duodenum | 34 | |
| 15. Cancer of breast | 22 | |
| 16. Cancer of all other sites | 131 | |
| 17. Diabetes | 10 | |
| 18. Inter – cranial vascular lesions | 99 | |
| 19. Heart disease | 320 | |
| 20. Other diseases of circulatory system | 54 | |
| 21. Bronchitis | 109 | |
| 22. Pneumonia | 46 | |
| 23. Other respiratory diseases | 5 | |
| 24. Ulcer of stomach or duodenum | 20 | |
| 25. Diarrhoea (under 2 years) | 6 | |
| 26. Appendicitis | 7 | |
| 27. Other digestive diseases | 35 | |
| 28. Nephritis | 36 | |
| 29. Puerperal and post-abortion sepsis | – | |
| 30. Other maternal causes | 2 | |
| 31. Premature birth | 23 | |
| 32. Congenital malformations, birth injuries, infantile diseases | 25 | |
| 33. Suicide | 8 | |
| 34. Road traffic accidents | 8 | |
| 35. Other violent causes | 52 | |
| 36. All other causes | 84 | |
Infant Mortality.—There were 65 deaths of infants under
twelve months of age, giving an infant mortality rate of 40.80 per
1,000 births. This may be compared with the rate for the previous
year of 49.82. The deaths of illegitimate infants numbered 6, giving
an illegitimate infant death rate of 37.04.
2
Vital Statistics.
Population.—The population of the Borough at the middle of
1945 is estimated by the Registrar-General to have been 90,420.
Births. —Births registered in Battersea numbered 1,830. Of
these, only 880 were of Battersea parents, but there were 713
Battersea children born outside the Borough, and the total number
of Battersea live births in 1945 was therefore 1,593 (817 males,
776 females).
Live birth-rate 17.62 per 1,000, a decrease of 1.42 from that
of the previous year.
Still births numbered 38 —rate 23.3 per 1,000 births, live and
still.
Illegitimate births numbered 166, which included 4 among the
still births.
Of the 1,593 Battersea live births, 1,516 were notified to the
Medical Officer of Health under the Public Health (London) Act,
1936.
Marriages.—l,oB2 marriages were registered in Battersea
during 1945, a marriage-rate of 23.9.
Deaths.—2,o32 deaths were registered in Battersea during
1945. Of these only 630 were of Battersea residents, but there must
be added 622 deaths of residents of the Borough registered elsewhere,
giving a total of 1,252 (660 males, 592 females), and the
death rate was 13.85 per 1,000 population, a decrease of 3.84 from
the figure for the preceding year.