London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Islington 1896

Forty-first annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Parish of St. Mary, Islington

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30
1896]
Third Quarter.—1,336 deaths, 712 being males and 624 females,
were registered. These were 39 below the average number, corrected
for increase of population, registered during the corresponding third
quarters of the eleven preceding years. The mortality rate was satisfactory,
whether as compared with the country at large, the Great
Towns, London, or with the districts encircling the parish, for it was
below that of each of these places. It was 0.5 below the rate that prevailed
in England and Wales, 3.2 below the rale of the 33 Great Towns,
1.0 below that of the 67 Other Large Towns, 2.5 below the London rate,
and 33 below the rate of the Encircling Districts.
At this period the death-rate was as low as 14.25 in Highbury,
14.59 in Upper Holloway, and 15.18 in South-east Islington, while in
South-west Islington it was only relatively high at 18.31.
In this quarter diarrhœa was prevalent and influenced the deathrate
to the extent of 1.56 per 1,000. It was partly owing to the fact
that this rate was below the rate experienced in other places that the
Islington general death-rate was so good.
The return, 132 deaths from Diarrhœa, was very satisfactory, for it
was not only 9 below that of the corresponding period of last year, but
also 32 below the corrected average for the preceding 11 years.
This disease, like Enteric Fever, is peculiarly amenable to sanitation,
and it is, therefore, a most welcome fact to find that the decrease
is so substantial.
When the comparison is made between the two sexennial periods
1885-90 and 1891-96, the reduction, notwithstanding a greatly increased
population, is very striking, being no less than 239.
1885, 3rd Quarter 167 deaths.
1886, „ 272 „
1887, „ 280 „
1888, „ 116 „
1889, „ 137 „
1890, „ 112 „
1885-90, „ 1,084 „
Mean, „180 „
1891, 3rd Quarter 115 deaths.
1892, „ 135 „
1893, „ 154 „
1894, „ 68 „
1895, „141 „
1896, „132 „
1891-96, „ 745 „
Mean, ,, 122 „
The death-rate for the third quarter was equal to an annual rate of
1.56 per 1,000, and was lower than the death-rate of the whole country,