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
Bethnal Green 1885
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green]
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districts was 17.7; in the South, 18.8 ; in the North, 18.5; and in
the Central, 25.5.
As before mentioned, the death rate for the whole of London
was 19.7. This is the lowest rate on record in London ; the next
two lowest, however, having been those recorded in the two
immediately preceding years, 1883 and 1884, when the death rates
were 20.5 and 20.4 respectively. The Registrar-General remarks,
in his annual report, that some share in producing this low death
rate is attributable to the low birth rate. Had the birth rate been
equal to the average in the preceding decennium (1875-1884),
10,431 more infants would have been born in the year ; and with
an infantile death rate of 148 per thousand, there would have been
1544 additional infant deaths, which would have raised the general
death rate from 19.7 to 20.0 per thousand, which rate would still
have remained the lowest on record.
Had the deaths in London in 1885 equalled the corrected
average annual number in the preceding decennium, 8412 persons
would have died in the year who as it was were alive at its close.
In the following Table aro compared the mortality rates for
London and for Bethmal Green, by quarters:—
VITAL STATISTICS, SUMMARY.
| 1884. | 1885. | |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated Population of Bethnal Green | 129,055 — | 129,055 |
| Made up as follows:— | ||
| Young Children, under 5 years | 19,700 — | 19,700 |
| Adults, between 5 and 60 | 101,820 — | 101,820 |
| Old People, over 60 years | 7,535 — | 7,535 |
| Area, 755 Acres. Number of Inhabited Houses | 17,833 — | 17,787 |
| Average number of Persons to each House (London Census, 7.8) | 7.2 — | 7.25 |
| Average number of Persons to each Acre (London Census, 52.5) | 171 — | 171 |
| Total number of Deaths in the year | 3,009 — | 2,850 |
| Total number of Births in the year | 5,475 — | 5,158 |
| Total number of Marriages | 2,581 — | 2,532 |
| Marriage Rate—Bethnal Green | 20.0 — | 19.62 |
| Marriage Rate—London | 17.6 — | 16.9 |
| Death Rate—Bethnal Green | 22.87 — | 22.08 |
| Death Rate—London | 20.34 — | 19.7 |
| Birth Rate—Bethnal Green | 41.62 — | 39.96 |
| Birth Rate—London | 33.7 — | 32.6 |
| Infantile Death Rate (on Births)—Bethnal Green | 157 — | 145.4 |
| Infantile Death Rate (on Births)—London | 155 — | 148 |
| Young Children's Death Rate (on estimated number of Young Children) | 77.30 — | 61.57 |
| Old People's Death Rate (on estimated number of Old People) | 66.23 — | 73.91 |
| (London, 71.5) | ||
| Zymotic Death Rate—Bethnal Green | 4.48 — | 3.58 |
| Zymotic Death Rate—London | 3.34 — | 2.77 |
| Inquest Cases | 205 — | 209 |
| Uncertified Deaths (no Inquests held) | 16 — | 18 |
| Uncertified Death Rate—Bethnal Green | 0.12 — | 0.14 |
| Uncertified Death Rate—London | 1.3 — | 1.1 |
| Deaths in Public Institutions | - | 534 |
| Violence | - | 82 |
BIRTHS AND BIRTH RATE.
The number of births registered during the year was 5158, and
corresponded to an annual rate of 39.96. This rate is slightly
lowor than that of last year, but considerably above that of London,