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
Merton and Morden 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton & Morden]
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Climatic Conditions. Rain gauges are installed at the
Joseph Hood Recreation Ground and West Barnes Pumping
Station.
The monthly recordings are as shown below:—
RAINFALL, 1946.
RAINFAL,1946
| JOSEPH HOOD RECREATION | WEST BARNES PUMPING GROUND STATION | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Inches | Days with O.lin. or more | Days with 0.4in. or more | Inches | Days with O.lin. or more | Days with 0.4in. or more |
| January | 1.48 | 10 | 8 | 1.85 | 15 | 11 |
| February | 2.12 | 17 | 11 | 2.39 | 19 | 13 |
| March | 1.09 | 7 | 5 | 1.28 | 11 | 5 |
| April | 2.13 | 11 | 10 | 2.25 | 11 | 9 |
| May | 3.50 | 13 | 10 | 3.62 | 16 | 10 |
| June | 2.04 | 18 | 15 | 2.52 | 20 | 16 |
| July | 1.15 | 8 | 7 | 1.24 | 10 | 6 |
| August | 4.09 | 19 | 15 | 4.56 | 21 | 18 |
| September | 2.56 | 18 | 15 | 2.93 | 21 | 16 |
| October | .99 | 11 | 7 | .91 | 11 | 7 |
| November | 3.19 | 22 | 18 | 3.57 | 24 | 19 |
| December | 2.29 | 18 | 14 | 2.56 | 24 | 15 |
| Total | 26.63 | 172 | 135 | 29.68 | 203 | 145 |
VITAL STATISTICS.
Reference to the figures shown in Table I on page 9
provides a comparison in vital statistics very favourable to our
district. It will be seen that our various death rates, mortality
rates, etc., are compared with those of the County Boroughs
and great towns including London and similarly towns with
25 to 50 thousand population, London County and England and
Wales as a whole.
Although our birth rate is lower than those with which it
is compared in the Table, it will be seen by reference to Table II
on page 12 that for us it is a very good rate; in fact, except
for the years 1943 and 1944, when it was also high, it is higher
than it has been since 1923 and, moreover, the total number of
births at 1,292 is an absolute record. Our figures for deaths
from all causes is well below the other figures, 7.7 per thousand,
as compared with 11.5 per 1,000 for England and Wales. Our
infant mortality rate is 22.2 per thousand live births, compared
with 43 per thousand for England and Wales. Our maternal
mortality is nil.
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