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
Chislehurst 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Chislehurst]
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An analysis of the ages at death shows that of the deaths registered:—
| Male. | Female. | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 were under 1 year of age | 14 | 10 |
| 1 was 1 and under 5 years of age | 1 | — |
| 3 were 5 and under 15 years of age | 3 | — |
| 11 were 15 and under 25 years of age | 5 | 6 |
| 40 were 25 and under 45 years of age | 21 | 19 |
| 172 were 45 and under 65 years of age | 105 | 67 |
| 150 were 65 and under 75 years of age | 92 | 58 |
| 277 were 75 years of age and over | 123 | 154 |
| 364 | 314 |
CAUSATION OF DEATHS.
Main causes of death in Chislehurst and Sidcup during the year 1954, together with comparative figures for the last five years, were:—
| 1950. | 1951. | 1952. | 1953. | 1954. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer (all sites) | 131 | 132 | 127 | 154 | 149 |
| Respiratory Diseases (not Tuberculosis) | 59 | 89 | 72 | 80 | 73 |
| Heart and Circulatory Diseases | 330 | 361 | 377 | 325 | 320 |
| Tuberculosis | 30 | 30 | 22 | 20 | 14 |
| Infectious Diseases | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Road Traffic Accidents | 5 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 5 |
| Other Violent Causes | 12 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 9 |
| Suicide | 7 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 6 |
| Digestive Diseases | 18 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 14 |
| Other Causes | 82 | 96 | 104 | 104 | 86 |
| 682 | 757 | 739 | 732 | 678 |
CANCER OF THE LUNG.
| 1950 | 31 |
| 1951 | 22 |
| 1952 | 21 |
| 1953 | 38 |
| 1954 | 36 |
These figures are included for information, but as will be seen,
they do not show any very definite tendency and it is hardly
necessary to add that the numbers are too small to have any real
statistical significance.
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
There were no maternal deaths in the area during 1954.
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The Infant Mortality Rate for the year is 18.2 per 1.000 live
births. 24 Infants died during 1954 before reaching their first
birthday. 21 died in the first four weeks of life, 20 of which were
within the first week.
The rate for England and Wales was 25.5 per 1,000 related
live births.