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
Paddington 1901
Report on the vital statistics and sanitary work for the year 1901
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43
CAUSES OF DEATH.
recorded cases, showed an increase from 1.5 per cent, in 1900 to 2.2 per cent, in 1901, but was below
the ratios for 1898 (3.1) and 1897 (3.9). Similarly there was an increase in the mortality from 0.03
to 0 .07, the rate, however, comparing well with any of the mean rates given in Table 25A.
Of the adjacent districts, Westminster (rate 0.06) and Hampstead (0.06) had rates which were
lowert ban that recorded in the Borough, those of the other districts being all higher. (See Table
24.) The rate for the Borough was lower than any of those for 1901 included in Table 26.
The relative fatalities which have prevailed among cases treated at home, and those removed to hospital, are indicated below. The columns for the years previous to 1901 relate to the Old Parish.
| Fatality among— | 1895. | 1896. | 1897. | 1898. | 1899. | 1900. | 1901. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital Cases | 4.7 | 2.4 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 2.1 |
| Home Cases | 0.7 | 3.8 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 2.7 |
| All Cases | 3.3 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 2.2 |
| Percentage of Notified Cases Removed | 65.3 | 78.7 | 77.3 | 80.1 | 71.6 | 84.6 | 85.4 |
It should be noted that one death recorded during the year was that of an infant (f. aged 2
months) who was taken to hospital with her mother, although the child had not the fever when
taken away. The child went to hospital at the request of the parents. In another case, the
patient's death was certified as " childbirth 6 days, scarlet fever 5 days." The woman (aged 25)
was too ill to be removed to hospital.
| 1901. | 1900. | 1899. | 1898. | 1897. | |
| Number of cases recorded | 343 | 176 | 296 | 372 | 383 |
| Number of deaths | 46 | 31 | 39 | 82 | 76 |
| Fatality | 13.4 | 17.6 | 13.1 | 22.0 | 19.8 |
| Mortality | 0.31 | 0.21 | 0.27 | 0.57 | 0.53 |
The increased prevalence already alluded to was accompanied by an increased mortality (from
0.21 to 0.31 per 1,000 of all ages), but not by an increased fatality. The latter, which was at the
rate of 13.4 per cent, of notified cases was, with the exception of those for 1899 (13.1), the lowest
of the five years 1897-1901. (See above.) The recorded deaths (46) were 22 below the decennial
average (68). In St. Mary the recorded deaths were only one above the half of the decennial
average (52), while in St. John they were less than half the average (7), but in North-West
Paddington they were nearly double the average—16 deaths recorded compared with an average
of 9. (See Table 25.) In St. Mary the fatality was equal to 13.6 per cent, of the notified cases; in
St. John, to 7.5 ; and in North-West Paddington, 14.9. The death-rate (0.31) was 0.12 below the
decennial mean rate in the Borough (0.43), half the mean rate in St. Mary, considerably less than
half in St. John, and 0.40 above the mean rate (0.53) in North-West Paddington. (See Table 25A.)
In comparison with the rates prevailing in the adjacent districts, the rate for the Borough was
exceeded only by that for Willesden (0.48), the comparison with some of the rates (e.g., Westminster,
0.11) being very striking. (See Table 24.) The local rate was considerably higher than any of the
rates mentioned in Table 26.
Diphtheria is so specially fatal in children that it would bo better to give the sex-age mortalities,
but until fuller information as to the results of the Census has been obtained this cannot be done. The