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 1905

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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20
Comparison can be made of certain causes of death in sanitary areas by reference to the following
table. The death-rates shown in the table are fully corrected for deaths in institutions (see footnote
(1), Page 9). In the case of phthisis and of "cancer" (inclusive of carcinoma, sarcoma, and cancer)
factors for correction for differences in age and sex constitution" have been calculated, and
these factors and the corrected death-rates are shown on pages 49 and 51 respectively.

Table: Death-rates per 100,000 living from all causes, and from various causes, in each of the various sanitaryareas, 1905 (365 days).

Death-rates per 100,000 living from all causes, and from various causes, in each of the various sanitaryareas, 1905 (365 days).

Sanitary area.Measles.Rheumatic Fever.Carcinoma.Sarcoma.Cancer.Tabes Mesenteric*.Tubercular Meningitis.Phthisis.Other Tube rcular and Scrofulous Diseases.Pneumonia.Other Respiratory Diseases.All other Causes.All Causes.
Paddington43116892531995161241537641,330
Kensington314493441217114111461498191,399
Hammersmith234646321322115161221248421,383
Fulham5310617181027121181591338801,497
Chelsea7462832815148131681818351,481
Westminster, City of21565734717150151291267721,348
St. Marylebone29263860919141271581828441,542
Hampstead965161431483118764583931
St. Pancras331161633916148181631639121,573
Islington367406531319125171401468451,447
Stoke Newington23947453625131211061177401,282
Hackney365465381127113191161358511,402
Holborn215535341218278301821849151,737
Finsbury426447191442201181762311,0931,893
London, City of4994–4944134311612101,0521,752
Shoreditch544416412345194231632261,1411,961
Bethnal-green378364412131203181832091,0591,850
Stepney516475211123172272001791,0181,760
Poplar478506261521153231572051,0491,760
Southwark745775231227213242082159631,846
Bermondsey497605191942178262161761,0671,864
Lambeth . i306529451020136191461328791,484
Battersea725535411019136161231478201,447
Wandsworth338377429171019123917791,256
Camberwell307465341326121151111567991,363
Deptford14959328820121161091628761,425
Greenwich176527361125124201101128201,340
Lewisham285548288158511911087241,165
Woolwich107336291018151121111017911,279
London367526351122140181451538781,503

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Principal Epidemic Diseases.
The number of deaths in the Administrative County of London from the principal epidemic
diseases, viz., smallpox, measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping cough, typhus, enteric fever,
pyrexia (1) and diarrhoea during 1905 (52 weeks) was 7,894, giving an annual death-rate of l.70 per 1,000
persons living.

Table: The death-rates in successive periods have been as follows

The death-rates in successive periods have been as follows

Period.Death rate from principal epidemic diseases.Period.Death rate from principal epidemic diseases.
1841-505.2019012.223
1851-605.1319022.212
1861-705.2319031.753
1871-803.8619042.142
1881-903.0519051.702
1891-19002.682

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It will be seen from the following table that London in the decennium 1895-1904 had a lower
death rate from these diseases than any of the undermentioned English towns, except Bristol, Bradford
and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and in 1905 a lower death-rate than any except Leeds, Bristol, Bradford,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Leicester :—
1 Origin uncertain. Originally described as simpls continued fever.
2 See footnote (1) p. 9.