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
Islington 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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| Primary Cause of Death | Under 1 day | Days | Weeks | Months | 1949 | (1948) | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | 2—3 | 3-4 | 4—5 | 5—6 | 6—7 | 1—2 | 2—3 | 3-4 | 1—2 | 2—3 | 3—4 | 4—5 | 5—6 | 6—7 | 7—8 | 8—9 | 9—10 | 10—11 | 11—12 | Totals | Totals | ||
| Measles | - | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Whooping Cough | 1 | 1 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cerebro Spinal Fever | — | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| T uberculosis—Lungs | — | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuberculosis—Other forms | — | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Bronchitis | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Pneumonia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16 | (31) | ||||||||||
| Influenza | 1 | 1 | (—) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Enteritis and Diarrhoea | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||
| Premature Birth | 11 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 27 | (23) | ||||||||||||
| Congenital Malformation, Birth Injury, Atelectasis, Atrophy and Marasmus | 20 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 48 | (55) | |||||||
| Syphilis | 1 | 1 | (-) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Suffocation Overlying | — | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Violent Causes | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | (16) | ||||||||||||||||
| Road Traffic Accidents | _ | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| All Other Cases | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| Totals | 33 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | 1 | 3 | 119 | (161) |
COMMENTS ON VITAL STATISTICS.
Births.
In accordance with the trend for the whole country, the birth-rate continues to
fall from its post-war peak of 23.55 per 1,000 population in 1947, the corresponding
1949 figure being 18.32.
The still-birth rate at 19.87 was fractionally higher than in 1948 (18.94).
Illegitimate Births.
7.24 per cent, of the 1949 births were registered as illegitimate which is very
slightly higher than last year's rate (7.18 per cent.). It will be of some interest
to observe whether the post-war improvement in illegitimacy has only been
temporarily halted, or whether the post-war social factors are tending to stabilise
at this level.
Principal Causes of Death.
The death-rate for 1949 showed some increase (12.35) on the previous year
(11.26). Islington's increase was part of a general increase in the County of London.
The principal reasons will be mentioned in a later paragraph.
Infants under one year. 1 mentioned in my report for 1948 that the moderate
increase in infant mortality which took place in 1948 need not give rise to anxiety
since it would probably turn out to be only a temporary phase. The constant fall
in infant mortality has now been renewed, and again it has to be recorded with
pleasure that the infant mortality rate for 1949 of 27 per 1,000 live births is the
lowest in the history of the Borough. It also has to be noted that in spite of high
population density, a large proportion of out-of-date multi-storey, tenement housing,
a high proportion of underground and basement room occupation, and a paucity of