London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
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]
This page requires JavaScript
The following table shows the proportional age-distribution of the deaths in London during 1909 (365 days) classified under the three headings— Cancer—Deaths1 at each age-period per 1,000 deaths at All Ages—1909 (365 days).
| Type of cancer. | All ages. | Under 35. | 35- | 45- | 55- | 65- | 75- | 85 and upwards. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarcoma | 1,000 | 307 | 123 | 195 | 160 | 154 | 51 | 10 |
| Carcinoma | 1,000 | 19 | 88 | 215 | 299 | 255 | 107 | 17 |
| Cancer (not otherwise defined) | 1,000 | 32 | 76 | 218 | 274 | 268 | 121 | 11 |
| Total | 1,000 | 41 | 86 | 215 | 282 | 253 | 108 | 15 |
In the report for the year 1908 a table was included showing the cancer death-rates in the
period 1901-8 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- 9:—
London, 1901-9. Cancer death-rates1 in relation to overcrowding'
| 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 sex distribution. | Corrected death-rate per 1,000 persons living. | Corrected death-rate (London, 1,000). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 7.5 per cent. | 0.933 | 0.883 | 0.99003 | 0.923 | 982 |
| 7.5 to 12.5 per cent. | 0.928 | 0.864 | 1.01180 | 0.939 | 998 |
| 12.5 to 20 per cent. | 0.992 | 0.921 | 0.94919 | 0.942 | 1,001 |
| 20. to 27.5 per cent. | 1.017 | 0.904 | 0.96704 | 0.983 | 1,045 |
| Over 27.5 per cent. | 0.807 | 0.774 | 1.12946 | 0.911 | 969 |
| London | 0.940 | 0.874 | 1.00000 | 0.940 | 1,000 |
I he 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 58).
Cerebro.spinal Fever. During 1909, 111 persons were certified to be suffering from cerebro-spinal fever and 15 deaths were attributed to this disease. The number of deaths in each year since 190] has been as follows :—
| Deaths.3 | Deaths.3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1902 | 4 | 1906 | 4 |
| 1903 | 6 | 1907 | 25 |
| 1904 | 6 | 1908 | 12 |
| 1905 | 5 | 1909 | 15 |
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 higher in 1909 than in
1908. The requirement of notification did not become operative until the 12th of March, 1907, and
during the remainder of that year 135 cases were notified, or 50 more than in the whole of the year 1908.
In 1909 there w6r6 111 notified cb-sbs.
The age distribution of the 111 cases notified in 1909 was as follows:— Cerebrospinal fever—Age-distribution of notified cases, 1909.
| Sex. | All ages. | 0- | 1- | 2- | 3- | 4- | 5- | 6- | 7- | 8- | 9- | 10- | 13- | 15+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | 51 | 19 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 6 |
| Females | GO | 24 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 6 |
| Persons | 111 | 43 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 12 |
1 See footnote (2), page 6. 2 See footnote (2), page 25. 3 See footnote (2), page 45.