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 Lewisham Borough]
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Table 2
Code No. | Cause of death | Male | Female | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
I | II | Ill | IV | V | Total | I | II | Ill | IV | V | Total | ||
1 | T uberculosis, respiratory | 1 | _ | 4 | 2 | _ | _ | 3 | _ | 5 | |||
2 | Tuberculosis, other forms | — | — | — | — | — | — | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | — |
3 | Syphilitic disease | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 3 |
4 | Diphtheria | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
5 | Whooping cough | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -- | - | - | - | - |
6 | Meningococcal infections | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
7 | Acute poliomyelitis | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
8 | Measles | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
9 | Other infective and parasitic diseases | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
10 | Malignant neoplasm, stomach | 2 | 6 | 17 | 17 | 6 | 48 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 24 |
11 | Malignant neoplasm, lung, bronchus | 4 | 27 | 96 | 44 | 32 | 203 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 27 |
12 | Malignant neoplasm, breast | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 13 | 36 | 7 | 7 | 65 |
13 | Malignant neoplasm, uterus | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 16 |
14 | Other malignant and lymphatic neoplasms | 4 | 20 | 74 | 41 | 19 | 158 | 2 | 17 | 77 | 36 | 23 | 155 |
15 | Leukaemia, aleukaemia | — | — | 6 | — | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | — | 13 |
16 | Diabetes | _ | _ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 6 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
17 | Vascular lesions of nervous system | 6 | 19 | 72 | 41 | 33 | 171 | 6 | 24 | 95 | 51 | 31 | 207 |
18 | Coronary disease, angina | 11 | 66 210 | 103 | 51 | 441 | 8 | 33 | 139 | 63 | 36 | 279 | |
19 | Hypertension with heart disease | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
20 | Other heart disease | 3 | 12 | 63 | 17 | 22 | 117 | 2 | 18 | 66 | 22 | 29 | 137 |
21 | Other circulatory disease | 2 | 3 | 30 | 8 | 8 | 51 | — | 3 | 39 | 29 | 16 | 87 |
22 | Influenza | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
23 | Pneumonia | 4 | 13 | 72 | 30 | 28 | 147 | 3 | 8 | 66 | 36 | 21 | 134 |
24 | Bronchitis | 3 | 13 | 76 | 53 | 43 | 188 | 1 | 3 | 29 | 15 | 9 | 57 |
25 | Other diseases of respiratory system | 2 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 18 | - | _ | 5 | 5 | 2 | 12 | |
26 | Ulcer of stomach and duodenum | — | 1 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | 4 | 10 |
27 | Gastritis, enteritis and diarrhoea | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | — | 1 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 14 |
28 | Nephritis and nephrosis | — | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 6 |
29 | Hyperplasia of prostate | — | — | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
30 | Pregnancy, childbirth, abortion | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 4 |
31 | Congenital malformations | — | 1 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 19 | — | — | 5 | 4 | 1 | 10 |
32 | Other defined and ill defined diseases | 4 | 19 | 52 | 28 | 27 | 130 | 6 | 21 | 45 | 26 | 20 | 118 |
33 | Motor vehicle accidents | _ | 1 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 26 | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | — | 9 |
34 | All other accidents | 1 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 21 |
35 | Suicides | 1 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 24 | — | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 11 |
36 | Homicide and operations of war | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Totals 47 215 843 431 316 1852 39 163 693 348 225 1468
Percentage 3 12 45 23 17 100 3 11 47 24 15 100
No social class assessed — — — — — 34 — — — — — 82
There are various discrepancies between the above table and table 1 owing to
different methods of assessment, and for comparative purposes therefore it is safer to
group the causes of death which are linked together. Thus code numbers 10 to 15
may be regarded as all different kinds of cancer, while numbers 17 to 21 are all diseases
of the heart and circulation. Similarly 22 to 25 are best grouped together.
HEART DISEASE
Cardiovascular and atherosclerotic disease as a group are responsible for more deaths
than any other single cause. A glance at table 3 will show that the percentage of
deaths from these illnesses in the borough is 35% of all deaths.
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