Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green Borough]
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49
These figures show a disquieting increase on those
for the past 2 or 3 years. Deaths from Measles,
Pneumonia, Diarrhoea and Premature Birth all were
higher than in the previous year. As I indicate elsewhere
in this report, the housing and other social circumstances
in Bethnal Green are not favourable to child
life, and I am afraid that so long as these are
allowed to remain, we must expect to have setbacks in
our progress towards better health.
| Causes of Death | Under 1 week | 1-2 weeks | 2-3 weeks | 3-4 weeks | Total under 4 weeks | 4 weeks & under 3 months | 3 months & under 6 months | 6 months & under 9 Months | 9 months & under 12 months | Total Deaths under 1 year | Rate per 1,000 Births |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measles | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 2 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 5. |
| Scarlet Fever | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | |
| Whooping Cough | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 3 | 3 | 1 | ... | 3. | |
| Diphtheria and Croup | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1. |
| Tuberculous Meningitis | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Abdominal Tuberculosis | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Other Tuberculous Diseases | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1 | ... | 0.5 | |
| Meningitis (not Tuberculosis) | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 2 | 3 | ... | 5 | 23 |
| Convulsions | ... | ... | ... | 1 | 1 | ... | 1 | ... | ... | 2 | 0. |
| Bronchitis | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1 | ... | ... | 1 | 2 | 0'9 |
| Pneumonia (all forms) | ... | ... | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 32 | 15'0 |
| Diarrhoea and Enteritis | ... | ... | 1 | ... | 1 | 4 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 32 | 15'0 |
| Syphilis | ... | ... | 1 | ... | 1 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1 | 0. |
| Rickets | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0'9 |
| Suffocation, overlying | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Injury at Birth | 2 | ... | ... | ... | 4 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 4 | 1.9 |
| Atelectasis | 4 | ... | ... | ... | 4 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 4 | 1.9 |
| Congenital Malformations ... | 2 | ... | 1 | ... | 7 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 7 | 3.2 |
| Premature Birth | 23 | ... | i | 2 | '26 | 2 | 1 | ... | ... | 29 | 13.6 |
| Atrophy, Debility and Marasmus | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1 | 1 | ... | ... | 2 | 0.9 |
| Other Causes | 4 | ... | ... | ... | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 6.5 |
| Totals | 36 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 53 | 19 | 34 | 26 | 26 | 158 | 73.9 |