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
Camberwell 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell.
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DEATHS—continued.
| Causes of Death. | Sex. | All Ages. | 0- | 1- | 5- | 15- | 25- | 45- | 65- | 75- |
| Hyperplasia of prostate Pregnancy, childbirth, abortion | M. | 24 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | 15 |
| F. | 3 | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | 7 | – | |
| Congenital malformations | M. | 18 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| F. | 11 | 5 | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | |
| Other defined and ill-defined diseases | M. | 82 | 23 | 2 | 2 | – | 11 | 14 | 11 | 19 |
| F. | 109 | 20 | – | 1 | 1 | 11 | 14 | 22 | 40 | |
| Motor vehicle accidents | M. | 13 | – | – | – | 1 | 4 | 6 | – | 2 |
| F. | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | |
| All other accidents | M. | 22 | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| F. | 18 | – | 4 | – | – | – | 1 | 4 | 9 | |
| Suicide | M. | 13 | – | – | – | – | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| F. | 3 | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – | |
| Homicide and operations of war | M. | 3 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| F. | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
The leading causes of deaths in Camberwell during 1951 were
as follows:—
Diseases of the heart 807
Pneumonia, bronchitis and influenza 401
Cancer 380
Vascular lesions of nervous system 222
Deaths from Cancer.
There has been a progressive increase in mortality from
cancer during the last 50 years. There is no doubt that
improvements in the facilities for radiography have led to
more accurate diagnosis and the ageing of the population also
plays a part. The rise is not entirely due to these factors, particularly
in relation to cancer of the lung, where the increase in
the number of deaths is so great that it can only be explained
on the grounds of higher incidence. Various reasons for this
have been suggested including cigarette smoking and the constant
inhalation of the exhaust fumes of motor vehicles.
The last quarter of a century has witnessed striking advances
in the knowledge and treatment of cancer. Although
much has been achieved, much still remains to be discovered
before the problems of this dread disease can be solved.
Infant Mortality.
The infant mortality rate in 1921 was 74 as compared with
25·7 in 1951.