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
Lewisham 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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In detail, the social class, related to cause of death, was as follows:—
Table 6
| Code No. | Cause of death | Male | Female | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | II | Ill | IV | V | Total | I | II | Ill | IV | V | Total | ||
| 1 | Tuberculosis, respiratory | - | 1 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 4 |
| 2 | Tuberculosis, other | - | — | — | — | — | — | - | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 |
| 3 | Syphilitic disease | - | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | - | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | Diphtheria | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 5 | Whooping cough | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 6 | Meningococcal infections | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 |
| 7 | Acute poliomyelitis | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| 8 | Measles | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | — |
| 9 | Other infective and parasitic diseases | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| 10 | Malignant neoplasm, stomach | 1 | 4 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 35 | - | 2 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 21 |
| 11 | Malignant neoplasm, lung, bronchus | 2 | 18 | 55 | 17 | 9 | 101 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 2 | - | 17 |
| 12 | Malignant neoplasm, breast | - | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 9 | 32 | 5 | 2 | 49 |
| 13 | Malignant neoplasm, uterus | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| 14 | Other malignant and lymphatic neoplasms | 5 | 20 | 98 | 19 | 10 | 152 | 3 | 20 | 60 | 11 | 17 | 111 |
| 15 | Leukaemia, aleukaemia | - | 3 | 6 | 2 | — | 11 | - | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 5 |
| 16 | Diabetes | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 6 | 1 | — | 7 |
| 17 | Vascular lesions of nervous system | 4 | 22 | 66 | 13 | 8 | 113 | 8 | 41 | 99 | 29 | 15 | 192 |
| 18 | Coronary disease, angina | 9 | 28 | 102 | 15 | 11 | 165 | 3 | 15 | 49 | 11 | 3 | 81 |
| 19 | Hypertension with heart disease | 1 | 12 | 40 | 6 | 12 | 71 | 4 | 13 | 33 | 7 | 9 | 66 |
| 20 | Other heart disease | 4 | 19 | 73 | 21 | 18 | 135 | 3 | 36 | 105 | 41 | 20 | 205 |
| 21 | Other circulatory disease | 2 | 9 | 44 | 7 | 11 | 73 | 2 | 16 | 45 | 13 | 6 | 82 |
| 22 | Influenza | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | - | 3 | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 4 |
| 23 | Pneumonia | 3 | 1 | 36 | 7 | 6 | 53 | - | 12 | 28 | 10 | 6 | 56 |
| 24 | Bronchitis | 2 | 19 | 84 | 18 | 19 | 142 | 1 | 11 | 28 | 13 | 4 | 57 |
| 25 | Other diseases of respiratory system | - | 4 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 18 | - | - | 5 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 26 | Ulcer of stomach and duodenum | 2 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 21 | - | 1 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 5 |
| 27 | Gastritis, enteritis and diarrhœa | - | — | - | - | — | — | - | - | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| 28 | Nephritis and nephrosis | - | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 11 | - | 1 | 8 | 8 | — | 17 |
| 29 | Hyperplasia of prostate | - | 2 | 13 | 1 | — | 16 | - | __ | — | — | — | - |
| 30 | Pregnancy, childbirth, abortion | - | — | — | — | — | — | - | 2 | 1 | — | — | 3 |
| 31 | Congenital malformations | - | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | 8 | - | 2 | 6 | — | - | 8 |
| 32 | Other defined and illdefined diseases | 2 | 8 | 42 | 3 | 5 | 60 | 2 | 7 | 42 | 11 | 6 | 68 |
| 33 | Motor vehicle accidents | - | 1 | 10 | 3 | — | 14 | - | — | 3 | - | — | 3 |
| 34 | All other accidents | - | 1 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 13 | - | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 14 |
| 35 | Suicide | - | 1 | 7 | - | 2 | 10 | - | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | 9 |
| 36 | Homicide and operations of war | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| No social class assessed | - | — | — | — | — | 7 | - | — | - | — | — | 60 | |
There are various discrepancies between the above table and table 2,
owing to different methods of assessment, and for comparative purposes
therefore it is safer to group the causes of death which are linked
together. Thus code numbers 10 to 15 may be regarded as all different
kinds of cancer, while numbers 17 to 21 are all diseases of the heart and
circulation. Similarly 22 to 25 are best grouped together.