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 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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55
The following table shows the proportional age-distribution of the deaths in London during
1908 (366 days) classified under the three headings—
| Age-period. | All ages. J | Under 35. | 35- | 45- | 55- | 65- | 75- | 85 and upward. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarcoma | 1,000 | 315 | 137 | 163 | 193 | 126 | 48 | 18 |
| Carcinoma | 1,000 | 22 | 94 | 210 | 297 | 258 | 108 | 11 |
| Cancer (not otherwise defined) | 1,000 | 28 | 82 | 191 | 307 | 262 | 111 | 19 |
| Total | 1,000 | 41 | 92 | 201 | 294 | 252 | 106 | 14 |
In the report for the year 1907 a table was included showing the cancer death-rates in the
period 1901-7 in areas presenting different degrees of overcrowding,2 the object being to compare the
death-rates of populations differently circumstanced in respect of " social condition."
The following table shows the corresponding death-rates for the period 1901-8:—
| Proportion of overcrowding in each group of sanitary areas. | Crude cancer death-rate per 1,000 persons living. | Standard death-rate. | Factor for correction for age and pex distribution. | Corrected death-rate per 1,000 persons living. | Corrected death-rate (London, 1,000). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 7.5 per cent. | 0.931 | 0.883 | 0.99003 | 0.922 | 985 |
| 7.5 to 12.5 per cent. | 0.923 | 0.864 | 1.01180 | 0.934 | 998 |
| 12.5 to 20 per cent. | 0.984 | 0.921 | 0.94919 | 0.934 | 998 |
| 20. to 27.5 per cent. | 1.012 | 0.904 | 0.96704 | 0.979 | 1,045 |
| Over 27.5 per cent. | 0.809 | 0.774 | 1.12946 | 0.914 | 976 |
| London | 0.936 | 0.874 | 1.00000 | 0.936 | 1,000 |
The figures shown in the table appear to indicate that there is no relation between cancer mortality
and social condition as judged by overcrowding, and in this respect the behaviour of cancer
differs altogether from that of phthisis (see page 50).
Cerebrospinal Fever.
During 1908, 85 persons were certified to be suffering from cerebro-spinal fever and 12 deaths
were attributed to this disease.
The number of deaths in each year since 1901 has been as follows:—
| Deaths. | Deaths. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902 | 4 | 1906 | 4 | |
| 1903 | 6 | 1907 | 25 | |
| 1904 | 6 | 1908 | 12 | |
| 1905 | 5 |
As stated in the last annual report, the larger number of deaths attributed to this cause in 1907
was probably an indirect effect of the Council making an Order requiring cases of this disease to be
notified. The number of cases notified and the number of deaths were markedly lower in 1908 than in
1907. In 1907 the requirement of notification did not become operative until the 12th of March,
and during the remainder of that year 135 cases were notified, or 50 more than in the whole of the
vear 1908.
The age distribution of the 85 cases notified in 1908 was as follows:—
| Ages | 0- | 1- | 1 2- | 3- | 4- | 5- | 6- | 7- | 8- | 9- | 10- | 13- | 15 + |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | 29 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 4 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| F emales | 23 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - |
1 See footnote (1). page 8. 2 See footnote (l), page 18.