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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The death-rate in each year since 1840 in relation to the mean death-rate of the period 1841-1905,
calculated on the population at all ages, is shown on diagram VI.
The following table shows the deaths and death-rates from measles in 1905 (52 weeks) in each of the sanitary areas of the County:—
| Sanitary area. | Deaths 1905. | Death-rate per 1,000 persons living. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1901-4. | 1905. | ||
| Paddington | 62 | 0.29 | 0.42 |
| Kensington | 56 | 0.38 | 0.31 |
| Hammersmith | 28 | 0.56 | 0.24 |
| Fulham | 84 | 0.57 | 0.54 |
| Chelsea | 5 | 0.39 | 0.07 |
| Westminster, City of.. | 38 | 0.24 | 0.22 |
| St. Marylebone | 38 | 0.36 | 0.29 |
| Hampstead | 8 | 0.12 | 0.09 |
| St. Pancras | 77 | 0.53 | 0.33 |
| Islington | 123 | 0.43 | 0.36 |
| Stoke Newington | 12 | 0.21 | 0.23 |
| Hackney | 83 | 0.41 | 0.36 |
| Holborn | 11 | 0.49 | 0.20 |
| Finsbury | 41 | 0.64 | 0.42 |
| London, City of | 1 | 0.14 | 0.04 |
| Shoreditch | 63 | 0.73 | 0.54 |
| Bethnal-green | 47 | 0.62 | 0.36 |
| Stepney | 157 | 0.57 | 0.52 |
| Poplar | 79 | 0.61 | 0.47 |
| Southwark | 154 | 0.72 | 0.74 |
| Bermondsey | 62 | 0.81 | 0.48 |
| Lambeth | 96 | 0.41 | 0.31 |
| Battersea | 125 | 0.58 | 0.71 |
| Wandsworth | 89 | 0.38 | 0.34 |
| Camberwell | 82 | 0.44 | 0.30 |
| Deptford | 16 | 0.59 | 0.14 |
| Greenwich | 18 | 0.41 | 0.17 |
| Lewisham | 41 | 0.22 | 0.28 |
| Woolwich | 13 | 0.24 | 0.10 |
In the distribution of measles mortality throughout the year 1905, the highest death-rate obtained
in Southwark (0.74) and the lowest in the City of London (0.04). For the period 1901-4, Bermondsey
had the highest measles death-rate (0.81) and Hampstead the lowest (0'12). The death-rates from this
disease in the four quarters of 1905 were as follows :—First quarter, 030; second quarter, 0.47; third
quarter, 0.22, and fourth quarter, 0.47 per 1,000 persons living.
The following table shows the measles death-rate at age 0-5 obtaining in the several sanitary areas of the County of London during the year 1905. It will be observed that Southwark (5.93) and the City of London (0.78) had, as at " all ages," the highest and lowest death-rates respectively :—
| Sanitary area. | Death-rate per 1,000 persons living aged 0-5. | Sanitary area. | Death-rate per 1,000 persons living aged 0-5. | Sanitary area. | Death-rate per 1,000 persons living aged 0-5. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddington | 4.57 | Stoke Newington | 2.06 | Bermondsey | 3.63 |
| Kensington | 3.88 | Hackney | 3.13 | Lambeth | 2.65 |
| Hammersmith | 2.10 | Holborn | 2.63 | Battersea | 5.66 |
| Fulham | 3.97 | Finsbury | 3.29 | Wandsworth .. | 2.89 |
| Chelsea | 0.79 | London, City of | 0.78 | Camberwell | 2.53 |
| Westminster, City of | 2.85 | 4.31 | Deptford | 1.01 | |
| St. Marylebone | 3.36 | Bethnal Green | 2.59 | Greenwich | 1.42 |
| Hampstead | 1.01 | Stepney | 3.66 | Lewisham | 2.35 |
| St. Pancras | 3.06 | Poplar | 3.55 | Woolwich | 0.81 |
| Islington | 3.17 | Southwark | 5.93 |
The mortality from measles in the several districts is in a large degree determined by the social
condition of the population. If London districts be grouped in relation to overcrowding, it is found
that the groups having the largest proportion of their population "overcrowded"2 have the
highest death-rates from measles. The following table shows the measles mortality under five years
of age in five groups of districts, arranged in order according to the proportion of their population
living more than two in a room in tenements of less than five rooms :—
1 See footnote (1), page 9.
11476
2 See footnote (1), page 16.
D 2