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 1911
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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1911]
72
In England and Wales, in the seventy-seven great towns, in the seven greatest towns, and in the boroughs surrounding Islington, the infantile mortality was as follows :—
| England and Wales | 130 per 1,000 births | |
| Rural Districts | 118 ,, | |
| 77 Great Towns | 140,, | |
| 136 Smaller Towns | 133 ,, | |
| London | 128 ,, | |
| Birmingham | 164 ,, | |
| Liverpool | 154 ,, | |
| Manchester | 154 ,, | |
| Leeds | 158 ,, | |
| Bristol | 141 ,, | |
| Sheffield | 140 „ | |
| The Encircling Boroughs. | Hornsey | 80 ,, |
| Stoke Newington | 107 ,, | |
| Hackney | 115 ,, | |
| Shoreditch | 177 ,, | |
| Finsbury | 128 ,, | |
| St. Pancras | 122 ,, | |
| The Encircling Boroughs | 127 ,, | |
MORTALITY FROM THE PRINCIPAL EPIDEMIC DISEASES.
Small Pox, Measles, Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Fevers
(that is to say, Typhus, Enteric and Continued) and Diarrhceal Diseases.
There were 603 deaths registered from these diseases, which is the largest
number known since 1904. In the preceding year they numbered 428, while
in 1909 they were 418, and in 1908, 358. It is, therefore, apparent that the
increase when compared with the immediately preceding years was excessive.
It was, however, 97 below the corrected average number of deaths registered
in the 26 years 1885-1910. The return, notwithstanding, cannot be considered
satisfactory in view of the low mortality that has been experienced since 1904.
The principal cause of the increased returns for the last few years has
undoubtedly been due to the very excessive number of deaths from diarrhoea,
which numbered 324, as compared with an average of 181 in the preceding
26 years. But reference will be made to these later on.
Death-rate. —The 603 deaths were equal to a death-rate of 1.84 per
1,000 persons living in the borough, as compared with 1.30 in 1910; 1.27 in
1909 ; 1.09 in 1908 ; and as contrasted with a mean rate of 2.14 in the 26 years
1885-1910. Since 1899, with slight variations, there has been a tendency on
the part of these diseases to decrease; thus in 1899 the death-rate was 2.32 per
1,000 inhabitants, which by 1908 had fallen to 109. In 1909 it was 1.27, and
in 1910 1.30. A return of the deaths from the several diseases since 1885 is
given in Table XLII.