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 1909
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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The figures show that the male rate is greatest in each group of districts at age 45—; but the
female rate, while greatest at that age in groups I., II. and III., is greatest in groups IV. and V. at
age'35—and this fact appears to hold good whether the deaths among inmates of common lodging houses
are included or excluded, as will be seen from the following table:—
Phthisis.'—Comparative male and female death-rates at age 45— (death-rates at age 35— being taken as 100) 1906-8.
| Group. | Comparative death-rates of age 45— (death-rates of age 35— taken as 100). | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excluding deaths among inmates of common lodging-houses. | Including deaths among inmates of common lodging-houses. | |||
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| I. | 118 | 111 | 119 | 107 |
| II | 124 | 108 | 124 | 107 |
| III. | 129 | 108 | 131 | 107 |
| IV. | 115 | 92 | 115 | 91 |
| V. | 121 | 84 | 122 | 85 |
It appears, therefore, that as between age 35— and age 45— there is a tendency in the female rates
for the greater incidence to occur in the earlier age as the social condition becomes less favourable.
This tendency is not exhibited by the male rates.
There is one factor which should be borne in mind in this connection as possibly concerned
in producing this result, viz., that the employment of servants occurs in greater proportion in the
better circumstanced districts than in those less well circumstanced, and in so far as young women
suffering from phthisis would die in their own homes, instead of where they are employed, this would
tend to diminish the incidence of mortality from phthisis in the better circumstanced districts and
to increase that in the less favoured districts.
It should, however, be pointed out that the reliability of any conclusions drawn from these
figures is largely dependent on the accuracy of the assumption that the age and sex constitution of
the population has remained constant since the date of the last census, and a fuller discussion of the
behaviour of phthisis in this respect must obviously be deferred until more reliable estimates of population
are provided by the forthcoming census.
Phthisis death-rates at ages, male and female, in successive intercensal periods, calculated on a standard population to eliminate the effect of differences in age-constitutionof the several populations, are shown in the following table:—
| Males. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period. | 15- | 20- | 25- | 35- | 45- | 55- | 65- | 75 + | All ages. |
| 1861-70 | 1.99 | 3.83 | 4.81 | 6.21 | 6.40 | 5.33 | 3.21 | 1.50 | 3.466 |
| 1871-80 | 1.58 | 3.03 | 4.52 | 6.08 | 6.15 | 4.99 | 2.75 | 0.90 | 3.141 |
| 1881-90 | 1.17 | 2.27 | 3.81 | 5.32 | 5.49 | 4.65 | 2.71 | 1.14 | 2.661 |
| 1891-1900 | 0.96 | 1.96 | 3.00 | 4.78 | 5.11 | 4.34 | 2.75 | 1.10 | 2.320 |
| 1901-09 | 0.76 | 1.48 | 2.27 | 3.70 | 4.55 | 3.99 | 2.98 | 1.21 | 1.904 |
| Females. | |||||||||
| Period. | 15- | 20- | 25- | 35- | 45- | 55- | 65- | 75 + | All ages. |
| 1861-70 | 1.97 | 2.68 | 3.71 | 4.11 | 3.22 | 2.31 | 1.36 | 0.67 | 2.398 |
| 1871-80 | 1.63 | 2.25 | 3.26 | 3.88 | 3.03 | 2.08 | 1.18 | 0.44 | 2.102 |
| 1881-90 | 1.20 | 1.62 | 2.60 | 3.25 | 2.59 | 1.83 | 1.06 | 0.53 | 1.680 |
| 1891-1900 | 0.96 | 1.17 | 1.84 | 2.73 | 2.28 | 1.58 | 1.04 | 0.55 | 1.334 |
| 1901-09 | 0.74 | 0.90 | 1.31 | 1.95 | 1.86 | 1.42 | 1.09 | 0.63 | 1.023 |
The table shows that at every age-period almost without exception there has been since 1861-70
a decline in the mortality attributed to phthisis.
The annual summary of the Registrar-General contains tables which supply information of
much value concerning the place of death of persons dying from phthisis in London during 1909,
1 See footnote (2) page 17.