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

Wandsworth 1859

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]

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Table: Causes of Death. The following table contains a summary of all the causes of death, arranged in accordance with the classification of the Registrar General, and showing the sex, social position, and age at death at 8 periods.

Causes of Death. The following table contains a summary of all the causes of death, arranged in accordance with the classification of the Registrar General, and showing the sex, social position, and age at death at 8 periods.

WANDSWORTH.SEXAGESOCIAL POSITION
Population in 1851, 9,611. Area in Acres, . . 2,478MalesFemalesTotalUnder 1 yearFrom 1 to 5 yearsFrom 5 to 10 yearsUnder 20 years, including all under 10 yearsAt 20, and under 40 years of ageAt 40, and under 60 years of ageAt 60, and under 80years of age80 years and upwardsNobility and GentryProfessional Class, Merchants, Bankers, &c.Middleand Trading Class, Shopmen, Clerks, &c.Industrial and Labouring Classes
Disease* and other Causes of Death Diseases Classified.
Classes:—
I. ZymoticSmall-pox2..2........2..........2
Measles4371517..............7
Scarlatina182643223124111........340
Diphtheria.123......111........12
Hooping Cough..222....2............11
Diarrhœa2132....2....1........3
Total2733607281353241......555
2. Tubercular21224376..172042..1..537
3. Of Brain, Nerves, &c55197453211143514..1..1063
4. Of Heart, &c639....11..4311..44
5. Of Respiratory Organs2021416111193883....734
6. Of Digestive Organs84122214323..1....11
7. Of Kidneys1......1..51..1..3..3
8. Of Uncertain Seat98172216251..1....16
9. Premature Birth, Low Vitality, Malforrna tion, &c651111....11............110
10. Age41115............7815..9
11. Violence1031313..5242....1111
12. Not specified6391214131......18
Total178133311425720133477446127637261

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As might be expected, from the circumstance that the County Lunatic
Asylum furnished considerably more than ⅓ of the total registered mortality,
the largest number of deaths are seen to have resulted from diseases of the
brain and nervous system. But somewhat less than 1/5 part only of these
belonged to Wandsworth, forming less than 5 per cent. of all deaths—an
amount which is below the average. The remaining 4/5 and upwards are due
to the Asylum, and lor the reasons previously assigned, are excluded from the
estimate of the causes of mortaliy proper to this parish. The most prominent
but least satisfactory feature in the table is the great mortality from diseases
of the Zymotic class which formed 19.2 per cent, or nearly 1/5 of the whole.
The Tubercular class, which includes Consumption, formed 13.8 per cent., and
Diseases of the Respiratory Organs 13.1 per cent. of all deaths. Both are
below the average. The unusual number of 13 deaths resulted from violence;
5 were of suicides, the remainder from accidental causes. In 9 instances the
cause of death was not specified, and in 12 was not certified by medical
opinion. Inquests were held in 28 cases, and in 6 the cause of death was
not determined after such inquiry. In 18 instances, then, no medical testimony of
the cause of death was adduced, and therefore so many in which death may
have resulted from other than natural causes. It. is thought not out of place