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
Islington 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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| Primary Cause of Death | Under 1 day | Days | Weeks | Months | 1950 | (1949) | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | 2-3 | 3-4 | 4-5 | 5-6 | 6-7 | 1-2 | 2-3 | 3-4 | 1-2 | 2—3 | 3-4 | 4-5 | 5-6 | 6—7 | 7—8 | 8—9 | 9—10 | 10—11 | 11—12 | ||||
| Totals | Totals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Measles | — | (—) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Whooping Cough | — | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Cerebro Spinal Fever. | — | (—) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuberculosis—Lungs | 1 | 1 | (—) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuberculosis—Other forms | 1 | 1 | (—) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bronchitis | 1 | 1 | 2 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Pneumonia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 22 | (16) | |||||||||||
| Influenza | — | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Enteritis and Diarrhoea | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Premature Birth | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 30 | (27) | |||||||||||||||
| Congenital Malformation, Birth Injury, Atelectasis, Atrophy and Marasmus | 17 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 47 | (48) | |||||||||
| Syphilis | — | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Suffocation Overlying | — | (—) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Violent Causes | — | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Road Traffic Accidents | — | (—) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| All Other Cases | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | ||||||||||||
| Totals | 31 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 119 | (119) | |||||
COMMENTS ON VITAL STATISTICS.
Births.
The birth-rate continues to fall from the post-war peak of 23.55 per thousand
population in 1947 to 17.17 for 1950.
Illegitimate Births.
In the report for 1949 it was observed that post-war social factors were possibly
tending to stabilise the illegitimate birth-rate at the level of approximately 7 per
cent, of all births. With a proportion of 7.38 per cent, for 1950 this would appear
to be the case. The infant mortality rate however for illegitimate births was
remarkably low and is commented on below.
Principal Causes of Death.
The death rate for 1950 at 11.59 per thousand population was the lowest ever
recorded with the exception of 1948. Owing to changes in the Registrar-General's
Classification of Causes of Death, it is not possible for all the 36 causes tabulated
to be compared one with another as between 1949 and subsequent years. Malignant
neoplasms of lung and bronchus have not previously been shown separately, and
neither, for example, has hypertension with heart disease. Motor vehicle accidents
have now been separated from other road traffic accidents, the figures being given
separately.
Infants under one year. The infant mortality rate (29) is slightly higher than
the previous year (27) but the variation is small and can again be regarded as
indicative of a good standard of infant care and nutrition in general. It is evident
that these factors are more important for young infants than are housing conditions
or other adverse environmental factors. The illegitimate infant mortality rate at
23 is the lowest figure recorded for this group, but conclusions must be drawn with