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 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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institutional treatment. Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Percentages of Deaths in Institutions.
| Queen's Park. | Harrow Road. | Maida Vale. | Westbourne. | Church. | Lancaster West. | Gate, East. | Hyde Park. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | 27.2 | 46.4 | 46.6 | 68.4 | 67.7 | 33.3 | – | 62.7 |
| 1911 | 44.4 | 37.1 | 50.0 | 60.0 | 69.6 | – | 50.0 | 54.5 |
That there has been a fairly steady increase in the proportion of persons dying in
institutions is conclusively shown from the annexed statement, which covers the thirteen
years for which data are available. The percentage of deaths in institutions averaged 41.2
Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Percentages of Deaths in Institutions.
| Observed Proportions : | Index Numbers : | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Persons. | Males. | Females. | Persons. | |
| 1901-3 | 41.3 | 41.0 | 41.2 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| 1904-6 | 49.4 | 35.7 | 43.8 | 119 | 87 | 106 |
| 1907-9 | 49.6 | 39.1 | 45.7 | 120 | 95 | 110 |
| 1910-12 | 54.6 | 41.5 | 49.1 | 132 | 101 | 119 |
per cent. (combined sexes—persons) during the three years 1901-3, and rose in each successive
triennial period to 49.1 per cent. during 1910-12, but decreased to 48.7 last year.
The index numbers show that the proportions observed last year were equal to increases
of 28 per cent. (males), 3 per cent. (females), and 18 per cent. (persons) above the
average proportions observed during 1901-3. When the recorded mortality is examined
it is found that there has not been a reduction commensurate with the increase in proportion
of institutional deaths. In the statement given below the actual deaths have been taken
as the basis of comparison, because the changes which the population of all ages has
undergone have been so slight that such numbers are practically as good a test as the
Deaths from Pulmonary Tuberculosis.
| Annual Numbers : | Index Numbers : | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Persons. | Males. | Females. | Persons. | |
| 1901-3 | 87 | 65 | 152 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| 1904-6 | 90 | 63 | 153 | 103 | 97 | 100 |
| 1907-9 | 99 | 57 | 156 | 113 | 88 | 102 |
| 1910-12 | 79 | 57 | 136 | 90 | 80 | 89 |
mortality rates. The average annual number of deaths (persons) was 152 during the three
years 1901-3, and after falling to 136 during 1910-12, rose to 156 last year.* The annual
average for males, which was 87 in the first period, fell to 79 in the fourth, while the
record for last year was 88. In the case of females the averages fell in each period from
65 in the first to 57 in the fourth, but the record rose to 68 last year. Comparing the
index numbers for deaths with those given above for proportions of deaths in institutions,
it will be seen that while there has been a progressive increase in the index numbers for
institutional deaths, there has not been a corresponding decrease in those for deaths. The
movements shown in the two sets of index numbers for females again are not contrary
the one to the other, but, allowing for the irregular fluctuations, more in the direction of
parallelism.
* It should be remembered that a comparison between an average for a three-year period and the number
recorded in a single year has to be accepted with some reservation.