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 1897
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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(C) Increase or decrease per cent, of death rates at each age-period in 1851-60, 1871-80, 1881-90, and 1891-6, compared with the death rates at each age-period in 1861-70.
| Period. | All ages. | 0— | 1— | 2— | 3— | 4— | 5— | 10— | 15— | 20 and upwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1851-60 | — 6.8 | —16.1 | —10.2 | — 4.0 | + 3.6 | + 12.3 | + 29.8 | + 30.4 | + 12.5 | ... |
| 1871-80 | —11.2 | + 4.7 | —11.3 | —24.8 | —19.5 | —18.5 | + 4.5 | —21.7 | —25.0 | ... |
| 1881-90 | + 10.8 | + 30.5 | + 14.0 | — 1.8 | + 10.7 | + 26.3 | + 49.4 | —21.7 | —37.5 | —25.0 |
| 1891-6 | + 11.4 | + 48.5 | + 29.5 | — 6.1 | + 10.3 | + 21.4 | + 22.4 | —47.8 | —75.0 | —25.0 |
TABLE IX. London. (A) Scarlet fever—Death rates per 1,000,000 living.
| 1851-60 | 940 | 1,999 | 5,436 | 6,398 | 6,201 | 4,931 | 2,279 | 469 | 135 | 43 |
| 1861-70 | 1,135 | 2,308 | 6,444 | 7,937 | 7,174 | 5,878 | 2,637 | 536 | 177 | 56 |
| 1871-80 | 601 | 1,149 | 3,269 | 4,057 | 3,916 | 3,288 | 1,402 | 254 | 81 | 30 |
| 1881-90 | 328 | 652 | 1,937 | 2,277 | 2,293 | 1,880 | 731 | 135 | 50 | 16 |
| 1891-6 | 213 | 473 | 1,270 | 1,577 | 1,560 | 1,183 | 457 | 102 | 40 | 11 |
(B) Death rates at " all ages " taken as 100.
| 1851-60 | 100 | 213 | 578 | 681 | 660 | 525 | 242 | 50 | 14 | 5 |
| 1861-70 | 100 | 203 | 568 | 699 | 632 | 518 | 232 | 47 | 16 | 5 |
| 1871-80 | 100 | 191 | 544 | 675 | 652 | 547 | 233 | 42 | 13 | 5 |
| 1881-90 | 100 | 199 | 591 | 694 | 699 | 573 | 223 | 41 | 15 | 5 |
| 1891-6 | 100 | 222 | 596 | 740 | 732 | 555 | 215 | 48 | 19 | 5 |
(C) Increase or decrease per cent, of death rates at each age period in 1851-60, 1871-80, 1881-90, o,nd 1891-6 compared with the d,eath rates at each age-period in 1861-70.
| 1851-60 | — 17.2 | — 13.4 | — 15.6 | — 19.4 | — 13.7 | — 16.1 | — 13.6 | — 12.5 | — 23.7 | — 23.2 |
| 1871-80 | — 47.0 | — 50.2 | — 49.3 | — 48.9 | — 45.4 | — 44.1 | — 46.8 | — 52.6 | — 54.2 | — 46.4 |
| 1881-90 | — 71.1 | — 71.8 | — 69.9 | — 71.3 | — 68.0 | — 6.8.0 | — 72.3 | — 74.8 | — 71.8 | — 71.4 |
| 1891-6 | — 81.2 | — 79.5 | — 80.3 | — 80.1 | — 78.3 | — 799 | — 82.7 | — 81.0 | — 77.4 | — 80.4 |
TABLE ..............X. London. (A) Whooping cough—Death rates per 1,000,000 living.
| 1851-60 | 871 | 9,476 | 11,292 | 5,921 | 3,363 | 1,742 | 341 | 15 | 4 | 1 |
| 1861-70 | 876 | 10,145 | 11,237 | 5,720 | 2,941 | 1,520 | 268 | 12 | 4 | 1 |
| 1871-80 | 813 | 10,443 | 10,221 | 4,620 | 2,409 | 1,330 | 254 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| 1881-90 | 690 | 9,504 | 9,010 | 3,951 | 2,280 | 1,246 | 221 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 1891-6 | 548 | 8,377 | 7,798 | 3,065 | 1,629 | 911 | 172 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
(B) Death rates at " all ages ages taken as 100.
| 1851-60 | 100 | 1,088 | 1,296 | 680 | 386 | 200 | 39 | 2 | ||
| 1861-70 | 100 | 1,158 | 1,283 | 653 | 336 | 174 | 31 | 1 | — | — |
| 1871 -80 | 100 | 1,285 | 1,257 | 568 | 296 | 164 | 31 | 1 | — | — |
| 1881-90 | 100 | 1,377 | 1,306 | 573 | 330 | 181 | 32 | 1 | — | — |
| 1891-6 | 100 | 1,529 | 1,423 | 559 | 297 | 166 | 31 | 1 | — | —— |
(C) Increase or decrease per cent, of death rates at each age period in 1851-60. 1871-80, 1881-90 and 1891-6, compared with the death rates at each age period in 1861-70.
| 1851-60 | — 0.6 | — 6.6 | — 0.5 | + 3.5 | + 14.3 | + 14.6 | + 27.2 | +25.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1871-80 | — 7.2 | + 2.9 | — 9.0 | —19.2 | —18.1 | —12.5 | — 5.2 | —25.0 | —75.0 | 0.0 |
| 1881-90 | —21.2 | — 6.3 | —19.8 | —30.9 | —22.5 | —18.0 | —17.5 | —50.0 | —75.0 | 0.0 |
| 1891-6 | —37.4 | —17.4 | —30.6 | —46.4 | —44.6 | —40.1 | —35.8 | —66.7 | —75.0 | 0.0 |
The changes which have taken place may be most conveniently stated by adopting as in the case of
diphtheria the period 1861-70 as a standard for comparison.
It will be seem from the accompanying diagrams which are based on the percentages shown in the
tables, (C) (the dotted lines in the diagrams representing the period 1861-70), that there has been a
tendency to relative increase of incidence of mortality both in measles and whooping cough on ages 3-, 4and
5- as in the case of diphtheria. The increase at these ages is however not manifest in the case of scarlet
fever. There has also been relative increase of incidence of mortality on the first two years of life in
measles and whooping cough which again is not manifest in the case of scarlet fever. In seeking for an
explanation of the relative increase of incidence of measles and whooping cough mortality upon the
first two years of life the probability that it is the result of increased opportunity of infection due to