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 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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8
MARRIAGES.
The marriages registered in Battersea during 1955 numbered 971.
The marriage rate (i.e., the number of persons married per 1,000 of the population) was 17.1.
| Year. | Marriages. | Marriage Rate. |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 949 | 16.1 |
| 1951 | 929 | 15.9 |
| 1952 | 884 | 15.2 |
| 1953 | 876 | 15.3 |
| 1954 | 912 | 16.0 |
| Mean 1950/54 | 910 | 15.7 |
| 1955 | 971 | 17.1 |
The marriage rate for England and Wales was 16.1.
DEATHS.
The number of deaths registered in the Borough during 1955 was
2,076. Of these, 1,188 were deaths of non-residents and were transferred
to the districts in which the persons ordinarily resided. There
were, on the other hand, 404 deaths of Battersea residents registered
outside the Borough. The total (corrected) number of deaths belonging
to the Borough was 1,292 (665 males, 627 females). This gives a
recorded death rate of 11.36 compared with 11.7 for England and Wales.
The following table shows the age and sex distribution of the total deaths (corrected) in Battersea during 1955:—
| Under 1 year | 1— | 5— | 15— | 25— | 45— | 65— | 75+ | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | 24 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 30 | 195 | 177 | 231 | 665 |
| F. | 19 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 24 | 113 | 154 | 304 | 627 |
| Totals | 43 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 54 | 308 | 331 | 535 | 1,292 |
| % of total | 3.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 4.2 | 23.8 | 25.6 | 41.4 | 100.0 |
Of the 1,292 Battersea deaths, 708 (or 54.8 per cent.) occu rred
in hospitals, etc.
The average age at death is shown in the following table:- Average Age at Death.
| 1945 | 62.4 | 1950 | 65.5 |
| 1946 | 61.4 | 1951 | 66.7 |
| 1947 | 62.6 | 1952 | 67.7 |
| 1948 | 63.3 | 1953 | 68.9* |
| 1949 | 65.3 | 1954 | 67.2 |
| Mean, 1945/1949 | 63.0 | Mean, 1950/1954 | 67.4 |
| 1955 | 67.7 | ||
*All deaths, with the exception of those from tuberculosis, that
occurred in St. John's Hospital, a hospital for the aged sick, were
assignable to Battersea, irrespective of the home address of the
patient prior to admission, during the year 1953.