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 1903
Forty-eighth annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Borough of Islington
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83
1903
The particulars for each period of life were as follows:—
| Age periods. | Deaths. | Deaths per 1,000 at each age. | Age periods. | Deaths. | Deaths per 1,000 at each age. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-5 | 29 | 0.79 | 55-65 | 50 | 2.44 |
| 5-15 | 13 | 0.21 | 65-75 | 21 | 2.02 |
| 15-25 | 66 | 0.98 | 75-85 | 2 | 0.47 |
| 25-35 | 110 | 1.78 | |||
| 35-45 | 106 | 2.40 | Total | 492 | 1.45 |
| 45-55 | 95 | 3.01 |
It will be noticed that the deaths among persons in the prime of life, that
is to say between 25 and 55 years of age, are numerous, causing no less
than 311. Such a large number as this is a distinct reproach, now that it is
widely known that Phthisis is a preventable disease. Islington is not doing its
duty with respect to its prevention, and the Council did not act with its usual
wisdom when they rejected the scheme of voluntary notification recommended
by the Public Health Committee, although the Medical Officer of Health
is not without considerable hope that before very long they will reconsider the
subject and that then the Borough will join the ranks of the many boroughs
and sanitary authorities throughout the Kingdom in pursuing an active crusade
against its spread.
The death-roll for the last ten years is an interesting but melancholy record. It is as follows:—
| Phthisis. | Proportion of Deaths from Phthisis per 100 Deaths from All Causes. | Death rates from All Causes per 1,000 inhabitants. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths. | Death rates per 1,000 inhabitants. | |||
| 1893 | 560 | 1.71 | 8.76 | 19.5 |
| 1894 | 539 | 1.63 | 10.24 | 15.9 |
| 1895 | 568 | 1.70 | 9.86 | 17.2 |
| 1896 | 530 | 1.54 | 9.01 | 17.1 |
| 1897 | 520 | 1.54 | 9.64 | 16.0 |
| 1898 | 527 | 1.56 | 9.24 | 16.9 |
| 1899 | 583 | 1.73 | 9.'26 | 18.7 |
| 1900 | 602 | 1.79 | 10.52 | 17.0 |
| 1901 | 545 | 1.62 | 10.16 | 15.9 |
| 1902 | 515 | 1.50 | 9.14 | 16.4 |
| Corrected mean | 556 | 1.64 | 9.56 | 17.1 |
| 1903 | 492 | 1.45 | 10.16 | 14.2 |