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
Shoreditch 1911
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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In the subjoined table the causes of death amongst infants under one year for each of the eight Wards of the Borough are given:—
| Cause of Death. | Moorfields Ward. | Church Ward. | Hoxton Ward. | Wenlock Ward. | Whitmore Ward. | Kingsland Ward. | Haggerston Ward. | Acton Ward. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measles | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
| Scarlet Fever | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Diphtheria and Croup | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 |
| Whooping Cough | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 14 |
| Diarrhæa | 2 | 20 | 17 | 22 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 108 |
| Enteritis | .. | 17 | 5 | 5 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 57 |
| Tuberculous Meningitis | 1 | 4 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| Abdominal Tuberculosis | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 4 | .. | .. | 2 | 8 |
| Other Tuberculous Diseases | .. | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 8 |
| Congenital Malformations | .. | 2 | 2 | 5 | .. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 15 |
| Premature Birth | .. | 14 | 19 | 13 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 79 |
| Atrophy, Debility and Marasmus | .. | 14 | 11 | 16 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 77 |
| Atelactasis | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | .. | 5 |
| Injury at Birth | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Erysipelas | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Syphilis | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | .. | 9 |
| Rickets | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Meningitis (not Tuberculous) | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | 6 |
| Convulsions | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 16 |
| Gastritis | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| Laryngitis | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Bronchitis | 1 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 44 |
| Pneumonia (all forms) Suffocation, over | 1 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 58 |
| lying | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 22 |
| Other causes | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 29 |
| Totals | 13 | 112 | 92 | 91 | 121 | 47 | 60 | 62 | 598 |
The infantile mortalities of the eight wards of the Borough are contained in
Table VI. (Appendix). It was highest in Whitmore Ward where it amounted to
190 and lowest in Kingsland where it was 129 per 1000 births.
The high rate of the infantile mortality in Shoreditch is as has been pointed out
in previous reports chiefly due to the large proportion of the poorer working class
resident in the Borough and the great density of the population which is something
approaching three times that of London as a whole. This great density of the