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 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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Table IV.
| (a) | (b.) |
|---|---|
| 39 ill-health | |
| 6 abscess, inflamed breast | 34 poor homes, probably under-fed |
| 3 contracted nipples | 16 at work, probably overwork |
| 41 constitutional delicacy, illness | 56 no special reason given |
| 37 no reason given | 15 mothers at work, deliberate weaning |
| 1 mother's deith | 25 infants not thriving, illness |
| 1 mother gone abroad | 7 infants removed to hospital |
| 12 mothers out at work | 23 unstated |
| 3 infants boarded out | |
| 5 infants removed to hospital | 215 |
| 6 infants unable to suckle | |
| 25 unstated | |
| 140 | Home work— |
| 58 tailoring | |
| 9 caretaking | |
| 11 washing | |
| 20 stillborn | 13 lodging-house keepers |
| 31 died under 1 month | 14 small shops |
| 47 died, from 1 to 12 months— | 20 dressmaking |
| 14 broncho pneumonia, pneumonia | 2 silver-work |
| 12 marasmus, malnutrition | 8 various |
| 2 tuberculosis | __ |
| 1 tabes mesenterica | 135 |
| 4 tuberculosis meningitis | Out work— |
| 2 meningitis | 119 charing, office cleaning |
| 2 epidemic enteritis | 17 washing |
| 1 whooping-cough | 3 servants |
| 2 eczema | 5 street-sellers |
| 2 convulsions | 4 shop-assistants |
| 2 heart disease | 9 dressmaking |
| J rupture | 3 tailoring |
| 1 operation | 3 caretakers |
| 1 accidental suffocation | 5 various |
| 98 | 168 |
The proportion of infants dying over one month to that of infants
dying under one month is suggestive as an index to the direct
influences of environment 011 mortality. The relative figures under
Poverty are perhaps the most noteworthy, and indeed, in view of these
figures and in view of the constant recurrence of this factor in combination
with others, extreme poverty must be regarded as the predominant
cause of a high mortality.
It will further be observed from Table II that a high death-rate is
invariably associated with a high rate of ill-health. The survival of
infants permanently enfeebled in mind and body is a problem 110 less
important than that of mortality itself. Malnutrition and want of
care during the first year are .undoubtedly responsible for much
preventible ill-health in later life. And it is perhaps in infancy
B 2