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
Lambeth 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth Borough]
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Heart and associated diseases accounted for the largest
number of deaths, 1185 people (552 males and 633 females) dying
from these causes.
During 1958, 301 males and 230 females died from all forms
of malignant neoplasms, the second highest cause of death.
Deaths from respiratory tuberculosis increased by 7, 24
deaths occurring from this form of the disease compared with 17
in 1957. Deaths from other forms of tuberculosis fell by 3, thus
giving an overall increase of 4 from all forms of disease.
Pneumonia, influenza, and bronchitis caused 355 deaths an
increase of 5 compared with deaths from the same causes in 1957.
The number of deaths from motor vehicle accidents increased
by 56%. Twenty-five residents of Lambeth, 13 males and 12 females,
lost their lives compared with 13 males and 3 females in 1957.
Although deaths from motor accidents increased, those from all
other accidents showed a reduction, 37 people dying compared with
42 last year.
Prom the figures supplied by the Registrar General it would
appear that the inhabitants of Lambeth were more suicide prone
than in 1957. The number of people taking their own lives increased
from 29 to 35. One of the suicides was a male under the age of
14 years, and another was in the age group of 15-24 years. Three
deaths occurred as a result of homicide.
Infantile Mortality
Unfortunately there was an increase in infantile mortality,
111 children dying in the first year of life compared with 98 in
1957. Although there was an increase in the number of live births
this gave an increased infantile mortality rate of 24.98 per 1,000
live births compared with 23.3 last year. Of the 111 deaths, 97
were of legitimate infants and 14 of illegitimate, giving a
legitimate Infantile Mortality rate of 25.31 per 1,000 legitimate
live births and an illegitimate Infantile Mortality rate of 24.62
per 1,000 illegitimate live births.
The infantile mortality rate for the Borough of Lambeth is
higher than that for England and Wales which at 22.5 per 1,000
live births is less than that for last year.