London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Wandsworth 1877

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

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59
It will be seen, on examination of the foregoing
Table, that there is a very large preponderance of diseases
of the Brain and Nerves (Class 3), forming nearly 29 per
cent. of all causes of death; but in estimating the relative
proportions borne by the several classes of disease in the
causation of the mortality proper to this parish, it is
necessary to withdraw from consideration Class 3, in
consequence of its undue exaltation by the mortality of
the Surrey County Lunatic Asylum, under the circumstances
already explained with reference to the determination
of the death-rate. Excluding Class 3, the first
in order of fatality was, as usual, the Zymotic, Epidemic,
or Contagious Class (Class 1), forming upwards of 16 per
cent. of all deaths; next, the Tubercular Class (Class 2)
contributed over 14 per cent. In this class is included
Consumption, which was, as usual, the most fatal single
disease, and nearly equalled Diseases of the Respiratory
Organs collectively (Class 5), which formed nearly 11 per
cent. Compared with the corresponding averages of the
preceding 10 years, the classes which were in excess
during the past year were Diseases of the Brain, and
Diseases of the Urinary Organs, the former being upwards
of one-fifth, and the latter one-third the average. Diseases
of uncertain seat (Class 12), and deaths from Violence
(Class 14), exactly corresponded with their respective
averages. All the other classes were below the average,
viz.: the Zymotic, 1/6th ; the Tubercular,1/13th ; Disease of
the Heart, 1/11th; Respiratory Organs, 1/5th(nearly) ;
Digestive Organs, 1/7th; and Premature Birth, &c., 1/5th .
Age at Death.—21 per cent, and upwards of all deaths
occurred to infants during the first year of life; upwards
of 32 per cent. to children under 5 years of age ; and
upwards of 38 per cent. to persons under 20 years of age.
At the other extreme of life, 13 deaths only were registered
as having resulted from old age, unconnected with any
disease ; but 39 deaths—17 of males, and 22 of females—
are recorded as having occurred above the age of 70, viz.,
from 70-75, eighteen ; 75-80, fifteen; and one at 84, 85,
87, 88, 93, and 97 respectively.