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
Paddington 1902
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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52
housing.
mortality given in the Special Report already mentioned, the figures for 1001 and 1902 have
been extracted, the more important being set out below:—
Rates of Morbidity and Mortality per 1,000 Persons of all ages, except where otherwise indicated.
| Clarendon Street Area. | Rest of Borough. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896-00. | 1901. | 1902. | 1896-00. | 1901. | 1902. | ||
| Notifications. | Diphtheria | 1.85 | 2.19 | 2.02 | 2.17 | 2.38 | 1.39 |
| Erysipelas | 2.07 | 2.33 | 1 .75 | 1.07 | 0.90 | 0.92 | |
| Scarlet Fever | 5.21 | 5.76 | 2.69 | 3.99 | 3.36 | 2.42 | |
| Enteric Fever | 0.95 | 1.78 | 0.40 | 0.54 | 0.57 | 0.57 | |
| Puerperal Fever | 0.05 | — | 0.12 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.09 | |
| Deaths. | At all ages | 28.75 | 22.60 | 23.23 | 16.17 | 13.81 | 14.14 |
| 0—10 years | 32.99 | 32.45 | 27.79 | 20.87 | |||
| 10— | ? | 17.78 | 18.89 | 11.17 | 11.72 | ||
| Infants under 1 yr.* | 308 | 290 | 250 | 288 | 215 | 197 | |
| In Institutions † | 30.0 | 42.4 | 40.7 | 22.6 | 20.5 | 27.2 | |
| Infants under 1 yr. ‡ | 55.8 | 67.1 | 65.0 | ||||
It was somewhat of a surprise to find that the proportion of deaths at ages under one
year to all deaths at ages 0—10 years was lower in the Area than in the rest of the
Borough. This, coupled with the comparatively small excess of mortality per 1,000 of those
ages, suggests that the birth-rate of the Area is not so high as might be expected having
regard to the class of inhabitants.
Two important Reports have been issued during the year, namely, that of the Select
Committee (House of Commons) on Repayment of Loans by Local Authorities, and that by
the Joint Committee (Lords and Commons) on Housing of the Working Classes. Among
the recommendations contained in the former Report are the following:—
"That some postponement of the payment of the first instalment should be allowed in the
case of certain works."
"That the sanctioning authority should be empowered to fix the method of re-payment in
all cases ; and to provide for the establishment of a repairs fund where necessary."
"That the maximum period for the re-payment of loans for actual re-housing operations,
under Parts 1. and II. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, should be 80
years."
"That, subject to the adoption of the instalment system of re-payment, the maximum period
for the re-payment of loans for land under Part III. of the Housing of the Working
Classes Act, 1890, should be extended to 80 years."
The extension of the period of repayment is of doubtful value in the case of a loan of £25,000
at per cent. the decrease in amount paid each year on a 80 years' term by way of principal and
interest in comparison with the corresponding payments on a 00 years' term, amounts to some-