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
Woolwich 1894
The sixth annual report of the health, sanitary condition, etc., etc., of the District of Woolwich for the year 1894
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5
The death rate for the year, which I believe is the lowest on record
for the district, bears striking testimony to the success of the efforts
which have been made during the past few years to better the conditions
under which the inhabitants live, and although it is true the mortality rate
for the whole of London during the past year is low, yet it is satisfactory
to specially draw attention to this fact.
I do not wish to attach undue weight to this fact of a low mortality
rate for the year, but I think it may be taken as an indication of an
improved condition of things.
I have appended tables Nos. 9 and 10, which show comparatively the
position taken by Woolwich in this respect to other large towns, and to
the various Metropolitan Sanitary Districts.
Of these total deaths 290 were of children under 5 years of age, and
465 of persons above that age, of the 290 children, 177 were of infants under one year of age.
Here again an improvement is to be noted over the preceding years as illustrated by the following table, the deaths of infants under one year being less than in preceding years.
| Total Deaths. | Deaths under one year. | Deaths between the ages of one & five years. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 838 | 215 | 141 |
| 1891 | 885 | 222 | 117 |
| 1892 | 806 | 198 | 95 |
| 1893 | 828 | 105 | |
| 1894 | 755 | 177 | 113 |
In table 5 will be found a comparison of the deaths occuring in the
sanitary district of Woolwich during the years 1892, 1893, and 1894,
distinguishing those under 5 years of age and those over 5 years of age.
Zymotic
Death Rate.
The deaths from all causes during the year included 39
from Measles, 22 from Scarlet Fever, 19 from Diarrhoea, 14
from Diptheria, 8 from Whooping Cough, 5 from Typhoid Fever, 4 from
Influenza, 2 from Small Pox, and 1 from Croup, in all 114 deaths from
diseases classified by the Register General as Specific Febrile or Zymotic.
This is equivalent to a Zymotic death rate of 2.6 per thousand.