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
Islington 1917
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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5 [1917
In London the infant mortality rate was 103 per 1,000 births, while in the
six boroughs encircling Islington it was 106 per 1,000. The rate for England
and Wales was 97 per 1,000 births.
The following Table shows the diseases that proved most fatal in the first
year of child life, together with the mortality rates per 1,000 births.
| Causes of Death. | Mean rate of 3 years 1901-2-3 per 1,000 Births. | 1917. | Mean rate 10 years 1907-16 per 1,000 Births. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premature Birth and Congenital Defects | 24.25 | 18.33 | 22.03 |
| Bronchitis and Pneumonia | 25.67 | 21.41 | 19.45 |
| Atrophy and Marasmus | 20.54 | 16.10 | 14.65 |
| Diarrhœal Diseases (all forms) | 10.81 | 4.46 | 9.48 |
| Convulsions | 6.66 | 1.20 | 1.99 |
| Whooping Cough | 6.44 | 2.91 | 4.43 |
| Measles | 3.27 | 5.66 | 2.83 |
| Phthisis | 1.85 | 0.86 | 0.49 |
| Other forms of Tuberculosis | 5.68 | 3.43 | 3.81 |
| Diphtheria | 0.43 | .. | 0.37 |
| Total of above | 105.60 | 74.36 | 79.53 |
| All other causes | 27.11 | 22.44 | 24.37 |
| Total | 132.71 | 96.80 | 103.90 |
WELFARE WORK BY HEALTH VISITORS.
For the purpose of carrying out this work, the borough was divided into
two districts, i.e., the part of Islington north of the Great Northern Railway,
which is called the Northern District, and that south of the railway, which is
known as the Southern District. To each a Health Visitbr is appointed.
The work performed by the two Health Visitors, during the year 1917,
is set out in the following summary:-