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
London County Council 1893
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Table J. Comparison of the number surviving at several ages out of 1,000,000 of each sex born, according to Dr. Farr's Healthy Districts life table 1849-53, and the London life table, 1881-90.
| Age. X | Males. E X | Females. E X | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthy Districts, 1849-53. | London, 1881-90. | Healthy Districts, 1849-53. | London, 1881-90. | |
| 0 | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 |
| 5 | 814,102 | 722,999 | 835,560 | 750,392 |
| 10 | 785,697 | 701,885 | 805,240 | 728,882 |
| 15 | 771,086 | 691,698 | 786,402 | 718,411 |
| 20 | 750,859 | 677,837 | 761,380 | 705,698 |
| 25 | 723,849 | 659,634 | 731,426 | 690,324 |
| 35 | 666,986 | 604,990 | 668,938 | 644,793 |
| 45 | 606,978 | 520,920 | 605,016 | 575,177 |
| 55 | 532,809 | 410,293 | 535,412 | 484,154 |
| 65 | 419,396 | 271,387 | 430,041 | 355,924 |
| 75 | 238,215 | 124,399 | 256,615 | 188,810 |
| 85 | 64,149 | 26,077 | 70,031 | 49,201 |
The following table (K) shows the expectations of life derived from the survivorship figures
in Table J.
Table K. Comparison of expectations of life in London 1881-90 with those in Dr. Farr's Healthy Districts life table.
| Age. | Males. | Females. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthy Districts, 1849-53. E X | London, 1881-90. E X | London to Healthy Districts taken as 100. | Healthy Districts, 1849-53. E X | London, 1881-90. E, | London to HealthyDistricts taken as 100. | |
| 0 | 48.56 | 40.66 | 83.7 | 49.45 | 44.91 | 90.8 |
| 5 | 54.39 | 50.77 | 93.3 | 53.93 | 54.42 | 100.9 |
| 10 | 51.28 | 47.22 | 92.1 | 50.88 | 50.95 | 100.1 |
| 15 | 47.20 | 42.88 | 90.8 | 47.04 | 46.65 | 99.2 |
| 20 | 43.40 | 38.70 | 89.2 | 43.50 | 42.45 | 97.6 |
| 25 | 39.93 | 34.70 | 86.9 | 40.18 | 38.34 | 95.4 |
| 35 | 32.90 | 27.39 | 83.3 | 33.46 | 30.69 | 91.7 |
| 45 | 25.65 | 21.00 | 81.9 | 26.46 | 23.80 | 89.9 |
| 55 | 18.49 | 15.31 | 82.8 | 19.24 | 17.34 | 90.1 |
| 65 | 12.00 | 10.59 | 88.3 | 12.58 | 11.78 | 93.6 |
| 75 | 7.15 | 7.20 | 100.7 | 7.52 | 7.79 | 103.6 |
| 85 | 4.01 | 5.50 | 137.2 | 4.19 | 5.70 | 136.0 |
Here the effect of the influx of healthy lives alluded to above is very apparent; and, as might
have been anticipated, this influx affects the figures relating to females more than it does the figures
relating to males. Among other reasons, it is probable that a larger proportion of females (principally
domestic servants) than of males return to their homes when their health breaks down. A reasonable
inference is that the figures relating to males are a more trustworthy index of the effect of London life on
longevity than those relating to females. But even these figures are unduly raised by immigration
of healthy young men, and it is therefore highly probable that the life expectation of persons born,
and living their lives, in London is at all ages considerably less than 90 per cent. of the normal
expectation. It would be unsafe to draw any conclusions from the figures at ages 75 and 85, since
there is always much doubt as to the accuracy of the data at these extreme ages.
Infant Mortality.
In London in 1893, 21,802 children under 1 year of age died, being in the proportion of 163*
deaths per 1,000 births. In 1891 the proportion was 153, and in 1892, 154 deaths per 1,000
births.
* See footnote (†), page 6.
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