London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Paddington 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
This page requires JavaScript
7
As will be seen from the classified table below, heart disease (332 deaths) and cancer (241 deaths) account between
them for just over 41 per cent, of the total number of deaths recorded. Heart disease is largely a disease of old age,
and 258 of the deaths from this cause are in the age-group 65 years and upwards. Analysis of the deaths from cancer,
however, shows that nearly 50 per cent, were in lower age groups, viz. :—
Age Group No. of Deaths
1-5 years 1
15-45 „ 19
45-65 „ 98
Over 65 „ 123
241
Deaths of Residents of the Borough, 1948. Sex-Age Distribution.
| Cause of Death. | All Ages | Deaths at Ages | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0— | 1— | 5— | 15— | 45— | 65— | ||||||||||
| M. | F. | P. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| Typhoid and paratyphoid fevers | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cerebro-spinal fever | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Scarletfever ... | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | _ |
| Whooping cough | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | ||||||||||
| Diphtheria | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | —1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pulmonary tuberculosis | 38 | 31 | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 22 | 22 | 7 | 2 | 2 |
| Other tuberculous diseases | 8 | 4 | 12 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 6 | 1 | — | 1 | — | _ |
| Syphilitic diseases | 7 | 7 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Influenza | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Measles | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | V | — | — | — | — |
| Acute polie-rayelitis and polio | |||||||||||||||
| encephalitis | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Acute infectious encephalitis | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Cancer of buccal cavity and oesopha | |||||||||||||||
| gus (males) | 10 | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 6 | — |
| Cancer of uterus | — | 16 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | 5 |
| Cancer of stomach and duodenum | 12 | 18 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 16 |
| Cancer of breast | — | 25 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 12 | — | 10 |
| Cancer of all other sites | 94 | 66 | 160 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 8 | 6 | 42 | 24 | 43 | 36 | |
| Diabetes | 4 | 3 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Intra cranial vascular lesions | 46 | 79 | 125 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 10 | 11 | 36 | 67 |
| Heart disease | 165 | 167 | 332 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 4 | 46 | 15 | 110 | 148 |
| Other circulatory diseases | 42 | 47 | 89 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 29 | 39 |
| Bronchitis | 53 | 34 | 87 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 3 | — | 5 | 5 | 40 | 27 |
| Pneumonia | 39 | 42 | 81 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 28 | |
| Other respiratory diseases | 9 | 8 | 17 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Ulcer of stomach or duodenum | 14 | 8 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Diarrhoea (under 2 years) | 6 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Appendicitis | 1 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — |
| Other digestive diseases | 15 | 15 | 30 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 |
| Nephritis | 13 | 11 | 24 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Puerperal sepsis | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| Other maternal causes | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | —` | —` | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Premature birth | 11 | 7 | 18 | 11 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Congenital malformation, birth in | |||||||||||||||
| jury, infantile disease | 23 | 8 | 31 | 22 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Suicide | 14 | 15 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 3 |
| Road traffic accidents | 5 | 3 | 8 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | 1 | — |
| Other violent causes | 25 | 20 | 45 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 9 |
| All other causes | 45 | 31 | 76 | 3 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 6 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 30 | 17 |
| All Causes (Totals) | 704 | 677 | 1,381 | 53 | 32 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 74 | 66 | 186 | 137 | 379 | 437 |
infantile mortality.—The rate for infant deaths is falling year by year, and last year the low record of 36
was achieved in Paddington. At the same time it is still a little higher than the rate for the Administrative County
of London, which records an infantile mortality rate of 31, the rate for England and Wales being 34.
maternal mortality.—The low rate of 039 per 1,000 live and still births recorded in 1947 would have been
repeated in 1948 but for the fact that two of the three deaths recorded under this heading were due to illegally
induced abortion.