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 1909
Fifty-fourth annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington
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99
[1909
It is satisfactory to note that there has been a decrease in the number of
deaths from phthisis, especially during the last five years, for it is found
that whereas from 1894 to 1898 2,684 persons died, and that from 1899 to 1903
2,737 died, there were only 2,250 from 1904 to 1908. Thus there was a decrease
of no less than 487 deaths in the quinquennium 1904-1908, compared with
that of 1899-1903.
In London there has been an uninterrupted decrease in the mortality rate since 1881.
| Per 1,000 | Per 1,000 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.44 | |||
| 1.97 | 1.40 | ||
| 1.32 | |||
| 1.75 | 1.31 | ||
| 1.57 |
Similar decreases are to be noted throughout the United Kingdom—in
England, Ireland and Scotland. Thus in Edinburgh the death-rate fell
from 2T2 in 1881-85 to TOG in 1909, or 50 per cent.; in Glasgow, from 3T1 to
1.35; in Dublin, from 3.87 to 2.76 ; and in Belfast, from 3.82 to 2.10. These
are highly gratifying figures, for they show that the great efforts that people
are making everywhere to grapple with phthisis are proving successful.
The following return gives the deaths and deaths per thousand persons living at each age:—
| Age periods. | Deaths. | Deaths per 1,000 persons living at each age. | Age periods. | Deaths. | Deaths per 1,000 persons living at each age. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-5 | 12 | 0.32 | 55-65 | 50 | 2.36 |
| 5-15 | 10 | 0.16 | 65-75 | 19 | 1.76 |
| 15-25 | 45 | 0.64 | 75-85 | 5 | 1.15 |
| 25-35 | 96 | 1.50 | |||
| 35-45 | 108 | 2.36 | Total | 424 | 1.21 |
| 45-55 | 79 |
These figures speak for themselves, and show very conclusively that the
greatest mortality occurs at those periods of life which are most valuable, not
only to the family but to the State, and silently demand that no effort should
be spared to prevent the spread of the disease.
H 2