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
Finsbury 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finsbury Borough]
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| 2 | Cause of death | Number of Finsbury deaths1951-1955 | Number of expected deaths if England & Wales rates (1954) had prevailed. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.&2. | Tuberculosis, all forms | 81 | 31 |
| 10. | Cancer of Stomach | 58 | 56 |
| 11. | " " Lung & Bronchus | 109 | 65 |
| 12. | " " Breast | 19 | 33 |
| 13. | " " Uterus | 14 | 15 |
| 14. | Other Cancers | 192 | 181 |
| 10 to 14. Total all Cancers | - 392 | - 350 | |
| 17. | Vascular lesions C.N.S. | 156 | 288 |
| 18. | Coronary disease | 268 | 268 |
| 19 -21. | Heart and circulatory disease | 356 | 475 |
| Pneumonia & Bronchitis | 323 | 177 | |
| 33. | Motor Accidents | 18 | 18 |
| 34. | Other Accidents | 55 | 43 |
| 35. | Suicide | 24 | 20 |
There were no deaths during the five years from Diphtheria,
Poliomyelitis or Measles. (One death from Diphtheria 60 years previously
was recorded in 1951).
Comments on deaths from Tuberculosis appear elsewhere.
There was one death from Whooping Cough and from meningococcal
infection both in 1951.
Deaths from cancer give rise to increasing concern. They have
been rising in the country generally and are seen to be particularly
high in Finsbury. This is almost entirely by reason of cancer of the
lung, the deaths from cancer of the breast and of the uterus having
actually been relatively fewer in Finsbury than elsewhere.
Cancer of the lung is undoubtedly becoming much more frequent
It is generally commoner in urban areas, the expected number for
connurbations in England and Wales was 79 and for London 94 as against
the figure given above of 65 for all areas: all these figures,
however, are substantially lower than that of 109 for the actual
deaths in Finsbury.