London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Kensington 1900

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]

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" NOTTING-DALE "SPECIAL AREA. vital and mortal statistics, 1900. (The corresponding statistic! for the four preceding years are added for comparison.)

1900.1899.1898.1897.1896.per 1,000 persons living.
Population (Estimated) ...4,0004,0004,0004,0003,740
Births113120117130118
Birth-rate28.230.029.332.531.6
Deaths163236182223187
Death-rate40.759.045.555.750.0per 1,000 persons living.
Infantile Mortality.
Deaths under one year of age5461495651per 1,000 births registered.
Death-rate ...478508419431432
Zymotic Diseases.
Deaths from the Seven Principal1812222530per 1,000 persons living.
Death-rate from ditto4.53.05.56.38.0

Causes of Death.—In 10 cases Measles; in 3 cases Whooping-cough-, in 3 cases Diarrhoea
(irrespective of one from Gasiro-enteritis); and in one case each, Diphtheria, and Enteric Fever.

The Death-rate per 1,000 persons living, in thirteen successive four-weekly periods, was:—

(1) 45.5(2) 35.7(3) 29.2(4) 55.2(5) 42.2(6) 26.0(7) 42.2
(8) 52.0(9) 48.7(10) 35.7(11) 48.7(12) 22.7(13) 45.5

Eighty-nine of the deaths occurred at the homes of the deceased persons, 65 at the
Borough Infirmary (the total deaths at this institution being 476) and 9 at other public institutions;
32 of the deaths were of persons who had previously resided at common lodging-houses
in the area; only two deaths took place at common lodging-houses.
The deaths comprised 78 of males, and 85 of females.
The ages at death were: under five years of age, 73 (including 54 under one year);
between 5 and 20 years, 5 deaths; between 20 and 60 years, 63 deaths; at 60 years and upwards,
22 deaths.
Among the principal causes of death were: diseases of the nervous system, 12 deaths;
diseases of the respiratory system, 39 deaths; diseases of circulatory system, 10 deaths; other
visceral diseases, 13 deaths; tubercular diseases, 28 deaths (including 23 from consumption);
wasting diseases of infants, 11 deaths; cancer, one death; syphilis, 4 deaths; violence, 11
deaths, including 8 of infants from suffocation. Four deaths of infants prematurely born were
registered, and one death from old age. Inquests were held in 26 cases.
The deaths were connected with streets as follows: Bangor-street, 46 deaths; Crescentstreet,
25 deaths; St. Katharine's-road, 53 deaths; Kenley-street, 21 deaths; Sirdar-road, 18
deaths.
The True Death-Rate of Kensington in 1900.—From time to time one hears observations
which indicate misapprehension of the signification of the expression "death-rate" as
used in the table at page 10, which shows the rate of mortality for each of the four-weekly
periods covered by the monthly reports: it may be well, therefore, to explain, by an illustration,
what it means. The deaths in the last four-weekly period of the year were 230, and the
death-rate was stated to be 17.3 per 1,000. This statement implied, simply, that if the deaths
for the whole of the year had been in the same proportion to the population as in the four weeks,
the annual death-rate would have been 17.3 per 1,000 of the estimated population at the middle
of the year. The estimated population in 1900 was 173,000; the deaths registered were 2,698;
the death-rate therefore was 15.6 per 1,000 (2,69S÷173,000=15.6). This method of calculating
the death-rate is customary, and is that used by the Registrar-General. The death-rate so
calculated is, of course, a crude or uncorrected one, as it does not take cognisance of the relative
numbers of the sexes, nor of the age-distribution of the population. Correction for these data
involves addition to, or subtraction from, the "recorded death-rate," as compared with the
" standard death-rate."* The necessity for such correction in this borough is obvious, having
*The standard death-rate signifies the death-rate at all ages, calculated on the hypothesis that the rates at each of
twelve age-periods in each town were the same as in England and Wales, during the 10 years 1881-90, the death-rate in
England and Wales during that period having been 19.15 per 1,000. (Regutrar-General's Annual Summary.)