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 1907
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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32
MORTALITY OF CHILDHOOD.
numbers of deaths from "alcoholism, acute and chronic," and from "cirrhosis of the liver."
The records, distinguishing the sexes for the last seven years, are given below.
| 1901. | 1902. | 1903. | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | 1907. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| Acute Alcoholism | 1 | - | 3 | - | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 |
| Chronic „ | 8 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| Cirrhosis of the liver | 8 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 20 | 9 | 16 | 9 | 20 |
| Totals | 17 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 17 | 22 | 13 | 29 | 16 | 21 | 11 | 28 |
| Persons | 37 | 48 | 44 | 39 | 42 | 37 | 39 | |||||||
| Ratio (Census Population) | M.: F. = l : 1«33. | |||||||||||||
| Averages 1901-03 | M. 21, F. 22 | |||||||||||||
| „ 1904-06 | M. 19, F. 24 | |||||||||||||
| „ 1907 | M. 11, F. 28 | |||||||||||||
MORTALITY OF CHILDHOOD.
To the usual discussion of infantile mortality, i.e., of infants under one year of age, a few
paragraphs are added dealing with the mortality in the second to fourth years of life.
Infantile Mortality.
The deaths of children in the first year of life, registered in the Borough during the past
year, numbered 396, equivalent to a crude mortality rate (per 1,000 births registered in the
Borough) of 128. The deaths were 97 below the decennial average (493) and the rate 19
below the mean (147). In 1906 the deaths numbered 395, the only year with a total below
that of last year. (See Fable I., Appendix). As low a rate as 128 was recorded in 1903, and
one of 125 in 1906. All the other rates since 1897 have been higher. The crude rates for
each quarter of last year are compared with the quinquennial means below.
Crude Infantile Mortality.
| Quarters | 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | Year. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907 | 144 | 124 | 108 | 140 | 128 |
| 1902-06 |
The drop in the rate for the third quarter is the most interesting feature of the
comparison.
Deducting the deaths of non-residents registered in the Borough and adding those
of residents in out-lying districts, a nett total of 354 deaths is obtained (viz., 219 of boys
and 135 of girls), equal to a mortality rate, calculated on the births registered in the Borough
(the usual basis of comparison), of 115 for persons, 138 for males, and 90 for females. Twice
only has a lower rate been recorded, viz., in 1903 (rate 108) and in 1906 (rate 112). The
mean rate for the five years 1902-06 (on the same basis) was 122, and that for the five years
1892-96, 149, showing satisfactory reductions. In the Metropolis last year's crude rate was
equal to that for the Borough, but the difference from the quinquennial mean was 18, as
against 9 for the Borough. In the circumjacent districts lower rates were recorded in all last
year than in the quinquennium, but the Kensington rate for last year (134) stands out markedly
in contrast with the others. In that district last year's rate was, however, 10 below the mean.