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
Holborn 1896
Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year ending December 31st, 1896
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London:—Diminution of excess of deaths in 1896 compared with the average annual deaths in 1896-95, corrected for increase of population:—
| Cause of Death. | Diminution in 1896. | Excess in 1896. |
|---|---|---|
| Small-pox | 39 | — |
| Measles | — | 938 |
| Scarlet Fever | 146 | — |
| Typhus | — | |
| Influenza | 543 | — |
| Whooping Cough | — | 256 |
| Diphtheria | — | 797 |
| Simple Fever | 23 | — |
| Enteric Fever | 50 | — |
| Diarrhœal Diseases | — | 107 |
| Cancer | — | 483 |
| Phthisis and other Tubercular Diseases | 1301 | — |
| Premature Birth | — | 151 |
| Diseases of Nervous System | 1348 | — |
| Diseases of Circulatory System | 307 | — |
| Diseases of Respiratory System | 5030 | — |
| Diseases of Urinary System | 37 | — |
| Childbirth and Puerperal Fever | 26 | — |
| Accident | — | 108 |
| Homicide | 5 | — |
| Suicide | 24 | — |
| All other Causes | 809 | — |
| Total | 9694 | 2840 |
| Balance of Diminution or Excess | 6854 | — |
The net gain in life saved during the year was represented by 6,854
lives. In other words, had the average death rate of 1886-1895 prevailed
throughout 1896, 6,854 lives would have been sacrified in
addition to those which were actually lost by death.
In the year 1896 there was, as compared with the decennial average,
an excess of 938 deaths from measles, 797 from diphtheria, 256 from
whooping-cough, 107 from diarrhœal disease, 483 from cancer, 151
from premature birth, and 108 from accident. tinder each of the
other headings in the table the mortality in 1896 was below the average.
This was notably the case in regard to diseases of the respiratory
system, the deaths referred to which were 5,030 below the average.
ZYMOTIC DISEASES.
During the year the number of deaths from the principal zymotic
diseases was 93, the rate being 3.0 per 1,000. The corresponding rate
for London was 3.1.