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
Islington 1898
Forty-third annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Parish of St. Mary, Islington
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64
1898]
north and south. This being so the districts stand in the following
relative positions:—
Death rate per
100,000
Persons to
an acre.
Highbury 76 83
South-east Islington 100 146
Upper Holloway 61 99
South-west Islington 185 149
"From these figures it appears that practically density and deathrate
went hand in hand, the only exception being that South-east
Islington instead of occupying the third place occupies the second.
"How severe the epidemic really was can be understood when I mention the number of children living at each year under five years, the number of deaths, and the proportion of deaths to each 1,000 living at these periods.
| Ages. | Estimated Population. | Deaths. | Deaths per 1,000 children. |
|---|---|---|---|
| under 1 year | 8,783 | 69 | 7.85 |
| 1—2 | 7,942 | 143 | 18.00 |
| 2—3 | 8,319 | 73 | 8.77 |
| 3—4 | 8,114 | 38 | 4.68 |
| 4—5 | 7,659 | 27 | 3.53 |
| under 5 years | 40,817 | 350 | 8.57 |
"I would, however, point out that the proportion of deaths to each
1,000 living is not calculated as if they were annual death rates, but
are the actual proportions to each 1,000 children living at each age
period.
"In this table the serious nature of the epidemic is well seen, for
out of every 1,000 infants who had not reached 1 year of age nearly
8 died; out of every 1,000 children between 1 and 2 years old 18 died;
out of every 1,000 between 2 and 3 years nearly 9 died; out of every
1,000 between 3 and 4 years nearly 5 died; and out of every 1,000
between 4 and 5 years nearly 5 died; and finally out of every 1,000
children under 5 years old, nearly 9 died.