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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10
In previous annual reports it has been shown that a more accurate estimate of the effect on the
community of fluctuations of mortality could be obtained by the use of a "life table" and the following
figures, calculated from the Ex and Qx columns of the life table for London, 1881-90,* were utilized
for this purpose-

Table: Table I.Mean future lifetime of males and females in groups of ages (calculated from London lifetables, 1881-90.)

Table I.Mean future lifetime of males and females in groups of ages (calculated from London lifetables, 1881-90.)

Age groups.Males.Females.Age groups.Males.Females.
Tears.Years.Years.Years.
0-49.0652.6935-24.1927.24
5-48.9452.6845-181520.57
10-45.0548.8055-12.9514.56
15-40.7944.5565-8.899.78
20-36.7040.3975-6.356.74
25-31.0434.5185 and upwards2.752.85

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By comparing the mean deaths occurring at each age-period in 1891-7 with the deaths which
would have occurred at these age-periods if the death rates of 1881-90 had still been maintained, the
difference between the two sets of figures will be the number of lives gained or lost at each age-period
by fluctuations of mortality, and by applying to these differences the figures in the preceding table the
actual gain or loss may be expressed in "life capital."

Table: The result of this process is showing in the following table- Table II.

The result of this process is showing in the following table- Table II.

groups.Deaths calculated according to mean rates 1881-90.Mean deaths occurring in the seven years 1891-7.Mean annual gain (+) or loss (-) of lives in the seven years 1891-7 by fluctuations of mortality.Mean annual gain (+) or loss (-) of "life capital" in the seven years 1891-7 by fluctuations of mortality.
Males.Years.
0-18,78318,110+ 673+33,017
5-1,3811,203+ 178+ 8,711
10-621545+ 76+ 3,424
15-824747+ 77+ 3,141
20-1,089977+ 112+ 4,110
25-2,9752,647+ 328+ 10,181
35-3,7973,678+ 119+ 2,879
45-4,2594,206+ 53+ 962
55-4,2084,238- 30- 388
65-4,0513,964+ 87+ 773
75-2,2612,231+ 30+ 190
85 and upwards463429+ 34+ 93
All ages44,71242,975+ 1,737+67,093
Females.Years.
0-16,45315,748+ 705+37,146
5-1,3691,263+ 106+ 5,584
10-626553+ 73+ 3,562
15-810703+ 107+ 4,767
20-1,063898+ 165+ 6,664
25-2,6982,361+ 337+11,640
35-3,2193,101+ 118+ 3,214
45-3,4713,406+ 65+ 1,337
55-3,8943,902- 8- 116
65-4,7174,579+ 138+ 1,350
75-3,4743,450+ 24+ 162
85 and upwards987967+ 20+ 57
All ages42,78140,931+1,850+75,367
Total87,49383,906+ 3,587+ 142,460
* See Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health, 1893, p. 10.