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
Lambeth 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth, Metropolitan Borough of]
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54
The decrease in the number of diphtheria deaths throughout
the Borough during recent years is again noteworthy,
viz.: during the four quinquennia 1891-1895, 1896-1900,
1901-1905, and 1906-1910, yearly averages of 123.2, 125.8,
38.8 and 44.4 respectively.
Even allowing for the slight fallacy that may arise from comparing statistics of the old Parish with those of the new Borough, this decrease in the mortality from diphtheria is again noteworthy, and, when taken in conjunction with the decrease in the number of notifications of the same disease received, allowing for the slight increase due to the outbreak in Upper Norwood, during 1913, points to a marked general decline in the prevalence of diphtheria during the past years, thus:—
| Quinquennial Period. | Population (estimated). | Number of Deaths. | Death-rate per million living. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Parish of Lambeth. | 1863—1867 | 902119 | 148 | 164 |
| 1868—1872 | 1021165 | 96 | 94 | |
| 1873—1877 | 1132106 | 184 | 163 | |
| 1878—1882 | 1245913 | 255 | 205 | |
| 1883-1887 | 1313211 | 365 | 278 | |
| 1888—1892 | 1367734 | 537 | 393 | |
| 1893—1897 | 1443857 | 683 | 483 | |
| 1898-1900 | 924333 | 362 | 392 | |
| Borough | ||||
| 1901—1905 | 1538750 | 194 | 126 | |
| 1906—1910 | 1606918 | 222 | 138 | |
| 1911 | 297957 | 43 | 144 | |
| 1912 | 297550 | 29 | 97 | |
| 1913 | 297139 | 36 | 121 | |
The statistics for London, as a whole, are no less noteworthy.