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
City of Westminster 1904
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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11
In compliance with a request made by many local authorities, the
Registrar-General and the Local Government Board have authorised
(11th November, 1904) Registrars of births and deaths to supply lists
of births registered in their districts to Sanitary Authorities in the
same way as they have hitherto supplied lists of deaths registered:
the particulars to be supplied are specified on a form. They are not
exactly what is required, but it will be a distinct advantage to know
the addresses where births occur, so that steps may be taken to visit
and instruct mothers with regard to the feeding and care of the infants.
Deaths.
2,626 deaths were registered in the City in the 52 weeks ending the
31st December, 1904. After deducting 1,073 deaths of non-citizens in
public institutions in the City, and adding those of 823 citizens who died
in other districts, the corrected total is 2,376, and is equivalent to
an annual rate of 13.4 per 1,000 persons. The London death-rate
for the same period was 16.1, and for England and Wales 16.2.
The rates were in each instance below the average of the preceding
ten years to the following extent: The City 2.l per 1,000, London
1.8 per 1,000, and England and Wales 1.0 per 1,000.
The following comparative statement shows at a glance the death-rates per 1,000 persons estimated to be living at certain age-periods during each of the last three years:—
| Age-Period. | 1901. | 1902. | 1903. | 1904. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Rate. | No. | Rate. | No. | Rate. | No. | Rate. | |
| Under 5 years of age | 673 | 52.1 | 652 | 51.7 | 559 | 44.7 | 491 | 39.6 |
| 5 and under 15 | 55 | 2.4 | 74 | 3.3 | 45 | 2.1 | 49 | 2.2 |
| 15 and under 25 | 118 | 2.7 | 122 | 2 .8 | 95 | 2.2 | 89 | 2.1 |
| 25 and under 35 | 192 | 6.4 | 200 | 5.1 | 167 | 4.3 | 157 | 4.0 |
| 35 and under 45 | 326 | 15.1 | 328 | 12.0 | 250 | 9.3 | 225 | 8.4 |
| 45 and under 55 | 383 | 24.7 | 388 | 21.2 | 303 | 16.7 | 284 | 15.7 |
| 55 and under 65 | 401 | 42.8 | 426 | 38.0 | 320 | 28.8 | 340 | 30.9 |
| 65 and upwards | 754 | 106.0 | 762 | 109.0 | 680 | 98.8 | 720 | 105.7 |
If the estimated population be correct, the above figures are a better
gauge of the health of the district than is the rate for the whole of the
City or its divisions.
A Factor for Correction of Death-rates is derived whereby differences
in the age and sex constitution of the population may be
removed. This is arrived at by obtaining the age and sex distribution
of the population of a district at the last census, and after ascertaining
the death-rate for each sex, at each age-period in England and Wales
during the last ten years, a calculation is made of the number of deathswhich
would have occurred in the district had similar rates been