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
Southwark 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark, Borough of]
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STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA.
| Area (in acres) | 1,131 |
| Population (Census, 1931) | 171,695 |
| Population (estimated, 1932) | 168,900 |
| Number of inhabited houses (Census, 1931) | 27,417 |
| Number of inhabited houses (end of 1932) according to rate books | 27,441 |
| Number of families or separate occupiers (Census, 1931) | 46,372 |
| Rateable value | £1,298,806 |
| Sum represented by penny rate | £5,228 |
SOCIAL CONDITIONS.
The population is chiefly a working class one, and a large proportion
are employed in the printing and manufacturing trades, whilst
others are engaged as waterside labourers or casual workers.
None of these occupations have any definite effect on the health
of the people.
Unemployment is still to be reckoned with, and according to the
latest Board of Trade Gazette, 7,865 males, 2,313 females and 400
juveniles living in the Borough were out of employment.
Of the males, between 1,000 and 1,500 are classified as casual
workers.
VITAL STATISTICS.
| Total. | M. | F. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live Births—Legitimate | 2,612 | 1,316 | 1,296 | Birth Rate, 16.2 | |
| Live Births—Illegitimate | 117 | 61 | 56 | ||
| Still Births, 86. Deaths, 2,219. | Rate per 1,000 total births, 32. Death Rate, 13.1 | ||||
| Percentage of total deaths occurring in Public Institutions, 52.5. Number of women dying in, or in consequence of childbirth:— | |||||
| From Sepsis | 4 | ||||
| Other causes | 7 | ||||
| Death rate of infants under 1 year of age per 1,000 live births:— | |||||
| Legitimate | 69 | ||||
| Illegitimate | 145 | ||||
| Deaths from Measles (all ages) | 53 | ||||
| Do. Whooping Cough (all ages) | 20 | ||||
| Do. Diarrhoea (under 2 years of age) | 34 | ||||
| No excessive or unusual mortality has occurred during the year. | |||||