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 1905
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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15
Deaths.
2,545 deaths were registered in the City in the 52 weeks ending the
30th December, 1905. After deducting 1,035 deaths of non-citizens in
public institutions in the City, and adding those of 837 citizens who died
in other districts, the corrected total is 2,347, and is equivalent to
an annual rate of 13.3 per 1,000 persons. The London death-rate
for the same period was 15.1, and for England and Wales 15.2.
The rates were in each instance below the average of the preceding
ten years to the following extent: The City 2.9 per 1,000, London
2.6 per 1,000, and England and Wales l.8 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 five years:—
| Age.Period. | 1901. | 1902. | 1903. | 1904. | 1905. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Rate. | 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 | 490 | 40.1 |
| 5 and under 15 | 55 | 2.4 | 74 | 3.3 | 45 | 2.1 | 49 | 2.2 | 47 | 1.4 |
| 15 and under 25 | 118 | 2.7 | 122 | 2.8 | 95 | 2.2 | 89 | 2.1 | 85 | 2.0 |
| 25 and under 35 | 192 | 6.4 | 200 | 5.1 | 167 | 4.3 | 157 | 4.0 | 170 | 4.4 |
| 35 and under 45 | 326 | 15.1 | 328 | 12.0 | 250 | 9.3 | 225 | 8.4 | 219 | 8.2 |
| 45 and under 55 | 383 | 24.7 | 388 | 21.2 | 303 | 16.7 | 284 | 15.7 | 307 | 17.2 |
| 55 and under 65 | 401 | 42.8 | 426 | 38.0 | 320 | 28.8 | 340 | 30.9 | 325 | 29.9 |
| 65 and upwards | 751 | 106.0 | 762 | 109.0 | 680 | 98.8 | 720 | 105.7 | 704 | 104.4 |
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, whereby differences in
the age and sex constitution of the population may be removed,
is arrived at by obtaining the age and sex distribution of the
population of a district at the last census; 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 deaths
which would have occurred in the district had similar rates been
obtained; thus a "standard" death-rate is obtained. The difference
between this rate and that for England and Wales is, on the above
assumption, due to differences in the age and sex constitution on
the population of the district, and dividing the latter by the former a
factor is obtained for correcting the crude death-rate of the district.
Applying such factors (1.05107 for London, 1.13926 for Westminster)
to the 1905 rates, the figures are:—
B 2