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
Holborn 1912
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Holborn, Metropolitan Borough]
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The Metropolitan Borough or Holborn.
REPORT
of the
Medical Officer of Health
For the Year 1912.
PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
197, HIGH HOLBORN, W.C.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Holborn.
Gentlemen,
In this Annual Report for the year 1912, the various statistics of the year
refer to the fifty-two weeks ended Saturday, December 30th, 1912, as adopted by
the Registrar-General, and known as the Registration year.
All the birth-rates and the various death-rates for the years 1901-1910 have
been re-estimated on the census populations 1901 and 1911 instead of as given in
previous Annual Reports for those years on the census populations 1891 and 1901.
The following statistics for the years 1911 and 1912 in comparison with the previous census year 1901 indicat e the very great improvement that has taken place in the sanitary and hygienic condition of the Borough during the past decennium:—
| 1901. | 1911. | 1912. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Death-rate per 1,000 | 20.0 | 15.2 | 1.49 |
| Death-rate from the seven principal epidemic diseases | 2.25 | 1.21 | 0.98 |
| Death rate from Phthisis | 2.47 | 1.72 | 1.74 |
| Number of notifications of Infectious diseases (excluding Tuberculosis and Chicken- pox) | 758 | 259 | 267 |
| Notification-rate per 1,000 | 12.79 | 5.29 | 5.56 |
| Infantile Mortalify per 1,000 births | 126 (1905)* | 113 | 78 |
Much work has again been done during the year under the Housing, Town
Planning, etc., Act, 1909, and the Housing Regulations of September, 1910.
126 of the worst houses in the Borough were reported on in detail, and of these
I represented 26 as being unfit for human habitation.
* Details of births, names and addresses of mothers, etc., were not supplied until the latter
part of 1904.