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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in the decrease. The experience of farther years is obviously needed before reliable reference can be
drawn from the behaviour of the figures, but so far as they go they suggest that explanation may
possibly be found eventually in improved powers of resistance or in diminished exposure to infection.
| Year. | 0— | 1— | 2— | 3— | 4— |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 7.36 | ||||
| 1902 | 7.36 | 4.95 | |||
| 1903 | 6.99 | 4.92 | 2.59 | ||
| 1904 | 6.68 | 4.72 | 2.60 | 1.54 | |
| 1905 | 5.81 | 4.19 | 241 | 1.72 | 110 |
| 1906 | 5.69 | 4.79 | 2.72 | 1.49 | 1.44 |
| 1907 | 5.26 | 4.35 | 2.40 | 1.62 | 1.04 |
| 1908 | 5.48 | 4.71 | 2.25 | 1.51 | 1.30 |
| 1909 | 4.47 | 3.75 | 2.38 | 1.43 | 0.97 |
The following life table, which is based upon the figures shown in the table on page 20, shows
the probability of living for one month from the commencement of each month in the first year of
life, and the number of survivors at the beginning of each of the first twelve months of life, out of
100,000 born in the year 1909. In the last four columns of the table the similar figures for the
preceding four years are shown; these differ slightly from those contained in the life tables published
in former reports owing to their being recalculated upon the more fully corrected figures which have
become available since the life table was first introduced into these reports.
| Ago-period. | Registered deaths. 1909. | 1909. Probability of living for one month. | 1909. Number living at the beginning of each month of age. | 1908. Number living at the beginning of each month of age. | 1907. Number living at the beginning of each month of age. | 1906. Number living at the beginning of each month of age. | 1905. Number living at the beginning of each month of age. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0—1 mth. | 4,158 | .96567 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| 1—2 mths. | 1,346 | .98843 | 96,567 | 96,437 | 96,219 | 96,320 | 96,188 |
| 2—3 ,, | 1,060 | .99076 | 95,450 | 95,173 | 94,953 | 94,983 | 94,795 |
| 3-4 „ | 912 | .99198 | 94,568 | 94,196 | 93,990 | 93,859 | 93,701 |
| 4—5 „ | 764 | .99321 | 93,809 | 93,360 | 93,137 | 92,845 | 92,761 |
| 5—6 ,, | 676 | .99391 | 93,172 | 92,633 | 92,475 | 91,988 | 91,958 |
| 6-7 „ | 624 | .99430 | 92,605 | 91,985 | 91,910 | 91,130 | 91,194 |
| 7-8 „ | 625 | .99423 | 92,077 | 91,391 | 91,326 | 90,360 | 90,466 |
| 8-9 „ | 661 | .99385 | 91,546 | 90,847 | 90,774 | 89,631 | 89,799 |
| 9-10 „ | 611 | .99427 | 90,983 | 90,295 | 90,217 | 88,956 | 89,110 |
| 10-11 „ | 626 | .99409 | 90,461 | 89,779 | 89,670 | 88,254 | 88,444 |
| 11-12 „ | 623 | .99408 | 89,927 | 89,259 | 89,153 | 87,639 | 87,797 |
| 0—1 year | 12,686 | — | 89,395 | 88,730 | 88,598 | 87,012 | 87,238 |
It will be seen from the figures in the third column of the table that while there is generally a
progressive increase in the probability of living one month, the increase is not continued into the later
months.
The depression in the probability curve in the vicinity of the ninth month of life is a feature
of similar tables published in previous annual reports. In the report for 1905, giving the first table
of the series, the possibility of the diminished viability of children of this age being due to the change
from natural to artificial food was suggested. It was pointed out, however, that the experience of
further years was necessary to ascertain whether the probability depression referred to was a constant
feature of the figures relating to London infantile mortality. The figures for five successive years are
now available, and a composite probability curve for these years shows that with a generally rising
probability curve, there is a slightly diminished probability of living during the ninth month of life.
1 See footnotes (1) and (2), page 6.
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