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
Lewisham 1945
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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Section "A" (Continued)
CAUSES OF DEATH AT DIFFERENT PERIODS OF LIFE
DURING THE YEAR 1945
The following Table shows the causes of and ages at death during the calendar year 1945:-
| Code Number | CAUSES OF DEATH | Nett Deaths at the subjoined Ages of "Residents" whether occurring within or without the Borough. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Ages | Under 1 year | 1 and under 5 | 5 and under 15 | 15 and under 45 | 45 and under 65 | 65 and over | ||
| Totals, All Causes | 2068 | 102 | 22 | 10 | 190 | 583 | 1161 | |
| 1 | Typhoid & Paratyphoid Fevers | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 2 | Cerebro-spinal Fever | 1 | 1 | . | . | . | . | . |
| 3 | Scarlet Fever | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 4 | Whooping Cough | 3 | 2 | 1 | . | . | . | . |
| 5 | Diphtheria | 1 | . | 1 | . | . | . | . . |
| 6 | Tuberculosis of Respiratory System | 122 | . | . | 1 | 68 | 43 | 10 |
| 7 | Other forms of Tuberculosis | 16 | . | 6 | . | 10 | . | . |
| 8 | Syphilitic Diseases | 17 | 1 | . | . | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| 9 | Influenza | 11 | . | . | . | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| 10 | Measles | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 11 | Acute Polio-Myelitis and Polio-Encephalitis | 1 | . | . | . | 1 | . | . |
| 12 | Acute Infectious Encephalitis | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 13 | Cancer, Buccal Cavity & Oesophagus (M), Uterus (F) | 30 | . | . | . | . | 15 | 15 |
| 14 | Cancer, Stomach & Duodenum | 56 | . | . | . | 3 | 24 | 29 |
| 15 | Cancer, Breast | 42 | . | . | . | 5 | 28 | 9 |
| 16 | Cancer, all other sites | 262 | . | . | 1 | 13 | 117 | 131 |
| 17 | Diabetes | 11 | . | . | . | . | 2 | 9 |
| 18 | Intra-Cranial Vascular Lesions | 189 | . | . | . | 3 | 50 | 136 |
| 19 | Heart Diseases | 586 | . | . | . | 14 | 109 | 463 |
| 20 | Other Circulatory Diseases | 51 | . | . | . . | 2 | 10 | 39 |
| 21 | Bronchitis | 153 | 2 | . | . | 2 | 51 | 98 |
| 22 | Pneumonia | 76 | 15 | 5 | . | 4 | 21 | 31 |
| 23 | Other Respiratory Diseases | 16 | . | . | . | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| 24 | Ulcer, Stomach & Duodenum | 28 | . | . | . | 4 | 10 | 14 |
| 25 | Diarrhoea (Under 2 years) | 25 | 24 | 1 | . | . | . | . |
| 26 | Appendicitis | 3 | . | 1 | 1 | 1 | . | . |
| 27 | Other Digestive Diseases | 46 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 24 |
| 28 | Nephritis | 35 | . | . | . | 4 | 9 | 22 |
| 29 | Puerperal & Post Abortiye Sepsis | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 30 | Other Maternal Causes | 6 | . | . | . | 6 | . | . |
| 31 | Premature Birth | 16 | 16 | . | . | . | . | . |
| 32 | Congenital Malformations, Birth Injury, infantile Diseases. | 33 | 30 | . | 1 | . | 1 | . |
| 33 | Suicide | 8 | . | . | . | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 34 | Road Traffic Accidents | 15 | . | . | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| 35 | Other Violent Accidents | 75 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 24 | 26 |
| 36 | All other causes | 134 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 34 | 80 |
It will be seen that Cancer and Heart Diseases between them
accounted for nearly half (976) of the total of 2068 Deaths in the Borough