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 1906

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]

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50
(2) Voluntary Notifiable Diseases.
Tubercular Disease.—Deaths from tuberculosis have been decreasing
in numbers since 1901. The figures for the last five years are set forth
below:-

Table: Tuberculosis Dieases.-Deaths from tuberculosis have been decreasing in numbers since 1901. The figures for the last five years are set forth below:-

Tuberculosis Dieases.-Deaths from tuberculosis have been decreasing in numbers since 1901. The figures for the last five years are set forth below:-

The City of Westminster.
Year.Pulmonary.Abdominal.Meningeal.Other.Total.
Deaths.Rates.Deaths.Rates.Deaths.Rates.Deaths.Rates.Deaths.Rates.
1901341187161031162512413226
190232817818932173517413224
19033091729523131910360200
190127115312626143218341192
190525914712631173117333189
190623713613736202514311178

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These rates are calculated Per 100,000 inhabitants.

Table: For purposes of comparison with the whole of London, differences in the number of males and females, and their relative ages, have to be taken into account. This may be effected by multiplying the rates by a factor (0.89205). The figures are then:—

For purposes of comparison with the whole of London, differences in the number of males and females, and their relative ages, have to be taken into account. This may be effected by multiplying the rates by a factor (0.89205). The figures are then:—

Year.Pulmonary Tuberculosis.Total Tubercular Kates.
County.City.County.City.
1901165167229202
1902161159223199
1903155154213178
1904162136-171
1905142131-168
1906144121-158

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Were the 35 deaths of inmates of common lodging-houses excluded,
the phthisis rate for the City would be reduced from 136 to 116, St.
John's Ward (with 21 deaths) would be reduced to 251, Covent Garden
(11 deaths) to 189, and the Sirand Ward (3 deaths) to 78.
The death-rate for males from tubercular disease was 255 in 1906 per
100,000 male inhabitants, the average of the previous five years being
277. For females, the 1906 rate was 112, the average being 142,
apparently an improvement of about 8 per cent. on the rate for males,
and 21 per cent. on that for females.
It is evident from the figures given above that while pulmonary
tuberculosis is diminishing, no improvement is noticeable in other forms
of the disease. Reference to Table X. shows that the persons who died,
especially from meningeal tuberculosis, were, as a rule, younger than
those who died from consumption of the lungs.
A Royal Commission was appointed in 1901 to enquire into the
relations between human and bovine tuberculosis, and they have issued
two interim reports.