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
Hornsey 1904
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hornsey, Borough of]
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The principal causes of death among infants under one year of age were:—
| Equal to a death rate per 1,000 births of | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measles | 2 | 1.20 | ||
| Whooping Cough | 9 | 5.68 | ||
| Diarrhoea | 21 | 12.64 | ||
| Enteritis | 11 | 6.88 | ||
| Tubercular diseases | 5. | 3.00 | ||
| Bronchitis & Pneumonia | 20 | 12.01 | ||
| Premature birth | 24 | 14.96 | ||
| Debility | 22 | 13.76 | ||
| Accident | 2 | 1.20 | ||
| The infantile mortality of London and Greater London and of a number of towns of population approximately equal to that of Hornsey is shown in the following table:— | ||||
| London and Greater London. | Towns of approximately equal population to Hornsev. | |||
| London | 144 | Reading | 133 | |
| Croydon | 129 | Wolverhampton | 152 | |
| Willesden | 115 | Coventry | 137 | |
| Tottenham | 138 | St. Helens | 174 | |
| West Ham | 165 | Huddersfield | 136 | |
| East Ham | 140 | York | 170 | |
| Leyton | 138 | Newport | 149 | |
| Walthamstow | 135 | Swansea | 172 | |
| Hornsey | 86 | Stockport | 201 | |
| Rochdale | 152 | |||
| England and Wales | 146 | |||
| 76 Great Towns | 160 | |||
Compared with other towns, the infantile mortality may be
considered a very low one.
Nevertheless, nearly one-fourth of the total deaths are those
of infants under one year of age.
The deaths from diarrhoea, enteritis and debility are to be
chiefly associated with improper feeding or want of cleanliness, and
an effort is being made to bring about an improvement in these
respects.