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
Chelsea 1953
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1953
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by the populations. Such differences are well illustrated by (a) Chelsea
with its large proportion of residents aged 65 years and over, and (b) the
"new" towns which are mainly populated by persons of the lower age groups.
In practice however, populations are not so constituted, and the RegistrarGeneral
has, therefore, employed a factor known as the "Area Comparability
Factor" for each district. This provides for an adjustment of the age and
sex composition of a particular area to that of England and Wales as a
whole, so that a statistical basis can be established. To obtain the
adjusted death rate, the crude death rate (13.3) is multiplied by the factor
which is represented by 0.88 so far as Chelsea is concerned, and such an
adjustment results in a death rate of 11.7.
Maternal Mortality. Three deaths were recorded as having resulted from
accidents or diseases associated with pregnancy or childbirth. The last
occasion on which a death was attributed to such causes was in 1946•
age of one year has declined. During the year, fifteen deaths, representing
a mortality rate of 19.1 occurred. The remarkable fact which emerges from
a consideration of the following table is the great opportunity presented
for infants to attain to adult life (In 1900, approximately 1 child in 7
failed to reach its first birthday: in 1953 the ratio was 1 to 52).
| Year | Deaths under 1 year of age | No. of births registered | Rate per 1.000 registered births |
|---|---|---|---|
It will be apparent that since 1940 there has been a tendency for the
dramatic improvement of the early decades of the century to decline. The
rate however, must be viewed in consideration with the actual number of
deaths and births registered, when it becomes clear that a greater
proportionate reduction in the number of deaths has occurred compared with
the decline in births. On page 14 appears a table setting out infant
mortality rates relevant to some thirteen other countries as compared with
England and Wales.
Marriages. During the year, 700 marriages were solemnized in the
borough. In 1952 and 1951, the figures were 739 and 785 respectively.
Infectious Diseases. The number of notifications received during the
year was 1,232, an increase of approximately 62 per cent. over the figures
for 1952 (765). Measles, Whooping Cough, and Dysentery (all forms)
accounted for 86.5 per cent. of the total notifications received. Generally
speaking, eighty to ninety per cent. of all persons reaching the age of