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 1894
Thirty-ninth annual report of the proceedings of the Board for the year ending Lady-Day, 1895
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The following table shows, in a summary form, the amount of life in
the whole of London saved, and the amount lost, in the year, compared
with the mean annual mortality in the preceding ten years under each of
the more important causes.
Diminution or excess of deaths in1894, compared with the average annual deaths in1884-1893, corrected for increase of population:—
| Cause of Death. | Diminution in 1894. | Excess in 1894. |
|---|---|---|
| Small-pox | 222 | _ |
| Measles | — | 659 |
| Scarlet Fever | 143 | — |
| Typhus | 11 | — |
| Influenza | — | 34 |
| Whooping Cough | 755 | — |
| Diphtheria | — | 1146 |
| Simple and ill-defined Fever | 36 | — |
| Enteric Fever | 23 | — |
| Diarrhoea Diseases | 1465 | — |
| Cancer | — | 312 |
| Phthisis and Tubercular Diseases | 1815 | — |
| Premature Birth | — | 140 |
| Diseases of Nervous System | 1843 | — |
| Diseases of Circulatory System | 835 | — |
| Diseases of Respiratory System, including Croup | 4733 | — |
| Diseases of Urinary System | 168 | — |
| Childbirth and Puerperal Fever | 59 | — |
| Accident | 84 | — |
| Murder, Manslaughter | 16 | — |
| Suicide | — | 47 |
| All other Diseases | I 890 | — |
| 13,998 | 2338 | |
| Balance of Diminution | 11,660 |
The balance of the deaths in the year, in diminution of those which were
above the average for ten years, is thus seen to be 11,660—a net gain. In
other words, had the death-rate been only equal to the average rate in the
preceding decenniuvi, 11,660 more persons would have died in London than
was actually the case. It will be seen at a glance from this table what
diseases are increasing, and what are decreasing, in the Metropolis. The
excess was under six headings, viz.: Measles, Influenza, Diphtheria, Cancer,
Premature Birth, and Suicide. The excess of mortality from diphtheria was
no less than 1146, the total number of deaths from this disease being 2670.
The deaths from diphtheria and croup, which I think cannot and ought not