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
Woolwich 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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| 28.75 | 29.28 | |
| 27.9 | 26.9 | |
| (c) Illegitimate infants | 19.8 | 54.5 |
| Deaths from Tuberculosis (all forms) | 59 | 82 |
| Deaths from Cancer (all ages) | 300 | 279 |
| Deaths from Whooping Cough | 1 | 1 |
| Deaths from Diarrhoea (under 2 years of age) | 5 | 2 |
Births.—The number of live births registered in Woolwich in 1949 was 2,124.
After correction for inward and outward transfers, the nett number of Woolwich
live births was 2,504, 1,280 being males and 1,224 females. It is known that 1,135
births took place in Institutions in the Borough. The birth rate was 17.4 compared
with 22.8 in 1947 and 17.7 in 1948. For the year 1949 the birth rate for
England and Wales was 16.7, and for the Administrative County of London, 18.5.
In addition, there were 38 still births, 21 being males and 17 females.
Natural Increase in Population {i.e., excess of births over deaths). In
1947 the natural increase in population was 1,567 ; in 1948, 954 ; in 1949, 932 ;
compared with 465 in 1937 ; 483 in 1938 ; and 541 in 1939.
Deaths. The number of deaths registered in Woolwich was 1,244, the nett
number of Woolwich deaths being 1,572, giving a death rate of 10.9 for the Borough.
Deaths of Woolwich residents in hospitals in the Borough totalled 280, whilst 288
died in other hospitals within the London area and 153 in hospitals outside London.
The Registrar-General supplies a factor by which the crude death rate should
be multiplied in order that the local death rate may be compared with the crude
death rate of the country. The adjusting factor for Woolwich was .93, giving,
when so multiplied, an adjusted death rate of 10.1. In the following table, this
figure is compared locally and nationally.
Table No. 2.
| Deaths. | England and Wales. | London Administrative County. | Woolwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Causes | 11.7 | 12.2 | 10.1 |
| Typhoid and Paratyphoid | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Whooping Cough | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Diphtheria | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Tuberculosis | 0.45 | 0.52 | 0.41 |
| Influenza | 0.15 | 0.11 | 0.09 |
| Smallpox | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Acute Poliomyelitis and Polioencephalitis | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.03 |
| Pneumonia | 0.51 | 0.59 | 0.35 |
Of the total number of deaths, 300 were from cancer, of which 172 occurred
in males and 128 in females. The total deaths from cancer in 1948 was 279.
Of the total of 72 deaths of infants under 1 year, 43 occurred in infants under
1 month and of these 35 were children under 1 week.
As in 1948, there was again only one maternal death.
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