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
Willesden 1907
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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11
METEOROLOGICAL AND SEASONAL CONDITIONS AND
THE DEATH RETURNS.
The relationship between the prevalence and type of disease and
the character of the weather and season of the year is intimate, and is
commonly recognised.
This may be observed by comparison of the death returns in each
quarter of the year.
During the last four years, as will be seen from the table below,
the least fatal quarter of the year is the second, with a mean percentage
of the total deaths of 21*1.
The third quarter, with 23.2 per cent. of the total deaths, comes
next, the fourth quarter with 25.9 per cent. and the first with
29.7 per cent. of the total, being much the more fatal seasons.
Table showing number of Deaths in each Quarter.
| Year | 1st. Quarter. | 2nd. Quarter. | 3rd. Quarter. | 4th. Quarter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The year 1907 differs from the mean of the four and from each of
the three preceding years in this, that the least fatal quarter is the
third, and this is accounted for by the fact that the second quarter
was more fatal than the corresponding quarters of the 3 preceding
years, while the third quarter of 1907 was very markedly less fatal
than its corresponding predecessors.
If, instead of comparing the deaths at all ages in each quarter of
the year, we take the deaths of children under 1 year of age and
of persons over 55 years of age, the relationship between season
and mortality will be still more apparent.