London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of Westminster 1911
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
This page requires JavaScript
The following table exhibits the particulars:—
| Westminster. | 1903. | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | 1907. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epidemic diarrhoea | 59 | 80 | 47 | 75 | 27 |
| Other forms of enteritis | 14. | 16 | 17 | 20 | 19 |
| Total deaths at all ages | 73 | 96 | 64 | 95 | 46 |
| Number under 1 year of age | 52 | 72 | 42 | 71 | 27 |
| Number of births | 3,185 | 3,054 | 3,120 | 2,931 | 2,927 |
| Deaths of infants per 1,000 births | 16 .3 | 23.5 | 13.4 | 24.2 | 9.2 |
| Westminster. | 1908. | 1909. | 1910. | 1911. | |
| Epidemic diarrhoea | 24 | 10 | | 9 | 47 | |
| Other forms of enteritis | 23 | 23 | 32 | 47 | |
| Total deaths at all ages | 47 | 33 | 41 | 74 | |
| Number under 1 year of age | 33 | 27 | 26 | 49 | |
| Number of births | 2,913 | 2,751 | 2,592 | 2,361 | |
| Deaths of infants per 1,000 | |||||
| births | 11 .4 | 9 .2 | 10 .0 | 20 .7 | |
I consider that the low mortality in Westminster from this form of
illness may be ascribed to three causes:—
(a) The frequent inspection of tenement houses, resulting in a higher
standard of cleanliness, and the removal of insanitary
conditions.
(5) The instruction given to the parents by the health visitors,
(c) The extension of the system of the daily removal of house refuse
and the cleanliness of the streets.
In Tables II and VI, the ages at death, and the distribution according
to wards may be seen. Victoria ward had 25 at all ages, 17 being
under 2 years of age. St. John's ward had 22 at all ages, 16 being
under 2 years. The rate of deaths under 1 year per 1,000 births is 20'0
for Victoria, 25'5 for St. John's; the rate for the rest of the City is20 7.
The Local Government Board issued a circular to the sanitary
authorities of the country on the subject of the excessive mortality from
diarrhoea and enteritis. They realised that some excess over that
occurring in cool and wet summers is inevitable, and they suggested lines
of action which, they believe, would minimise the excess.
"Firstly, it is important that exact advice should be given as to
the feeding and management of children, and more generally as to
preventing the exposure of their food to contamination from
decomposing organic matter. The distribution of clearly worded
leaflets is usual in this connection: but even more important are
personal visits and the offer of practical advice to the mothers of
babies born within the last twelve months. Exact and simple