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
Finsbury 1908
Report on the public health of Finsbury 1908 including annual report on factories and workshops
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Apart from Immaturity, Diarrhœa and conditions affecting the
organs of Respiration accounted for a considerable proportion of
the deaths. The figures for each of these three great causes are:—
Immaturity 118
Lung Disease 71
Epidemic Diarrhœa 80
Total 269
Nearly one-third—67.25 per cent.—of the total infant deaths,
therefore, are due to these causes alone. In 1907 the percentage
was 69. The percentage borne to the total 400 deaths in 1908, by
each cause, was:—Immaturity, 29.5; Lung Disease, 17.75; and
Epidemic Diarrhoea, 20. Each year the first-named is found to
take the head of the list, and the following table, which shows
the number of deaths and the percentage due to Immaturity, since
1901, is interesting in this connection:—
TABLE L.
| 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1908 | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premature Birth | 65 | 79 | 70 | 63 | 65 | 52 | 61 | 62 | 517 |
| Other immature conditions. (Atrophy, Congenital Disease &c.) | 97 | 90 | 86 | 89 | 67 | 90 | 66 | 56 | 641 |
| Total Deaths from Immaturity | 162 | 169 | 156 | 152 | 132 | 142 | 127 | 118 | 1158 |
| Total Infant Deaths | 533 | 558 | 5°3 | 522 | 429 | 474 | 368 | 400 | 3787 |
| Percentage of Immaturity Deaths on Total Infant Deaths | 3°·4 | 3°۬·3 | 31·0 | 29·1 | 3°·7 | 29·9 | 34·5 | 29·5 | 30·6 |
Enquiries in Connection with Infant Deaths In
order to obtain information as to the causes of death and, if
possible, data upon which to base preventive measures against
infantile mortality, a certain number of visits are paid by the
women inspectors in connection with deaths of infants under one
year of age. Enquiries into certain points are made. The facts
elicited in 221 deaths last year are tabulated below (Tables M.
and N.):-