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

City of Westminster 1935

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

This page requires JavaScript

Text

Copy text to clipboard

12
These death tables provide material for most interesting speculation,
but there is neither space nor time to do other than touch upon one or two
points. Thirty years ago Typhoid and Scarlet fever and measles caused
64 deaths. In 1935 there were none. In 1905 179 persons died of
Cancer, but in 1935 the number had risen to 216, and during those thirty
years the population has fallen from 175,606 to the present figure of
124,400. Tuberculosis, on the other hand, has fallen from 334 to 70—
from being the principal cause of death to fifth or sixth place. No wonder
that public interest in the "great white plague" has somewhat waned.
Heart disease is now by far the predominating cause of death, but for
almost one-third of those who fall from this cause it is a gentle summons
in the late evening of life.

Table: Table VI.—Still-births. Notification and Registration. Forty-nine still-born children were notified during the year.

Table VI.—Still-births. Notification and Registration. Forty-nine still-born children were notified during the year.

Still-births Registered.Inward Transfers.Outward Transfers.Allocated to Westminster.
Total Legitimate and IllegitimateMales25102114
Females2651714
IllegitimateMales.4242
Females2121

Table: Table VII.—Infectious Diseases. Statement showing the number of cases of certain infectious diseases in the area during the 52 weeks ended 28th December, 1935:—

Table VII.—Infectious Diseases. Statement showing the number of cases of certain infectious diseases in the area during the 52 weeks ended 28th December, 1935:—

Westminster, City of. Met. B.Number of Cases of Infectious Diseases Notified.Smallpox.Scarlet fever.Diphtheria.Enteric fever.Puerperal pyrexia.1 Puerperal fever.Erysipelas.Pneumonia.
—186112121794335

Text

Copy text to clipboard

(The case rates of these diseases for England and Wales per 1,000 living are respectively
as follows:—Scarlet fever, 2.96; diphtheria, 1.60; enteric fever, 0.04; puerpera
pyrexia, 9.44; puerperal fever, 3.60; and erysipelas, 0.42.).