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
Wandsworth 1888
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]
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62.
Death in relation to Social position.
The proportion per cent of the total deaths, as well as of those from zymotic diseases in relation to the social position of the deceased, is shewn in the subjoined table:—
| Social Position. | Total Deaths. | Deaths from Zymotic Diseases | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888. | Decennial average. | 1888. | Decennial Average. | |
| Nobility and Gentry | 2.25 | 3.44 | 0.00 | 1.14 |
| Professional Class, Merchants, Bankers, &c | 5.77 | 4.67 | 7.09 | 4.13 |
| Middle & Trading Classes, Clerks, &c | 21.38 | 23.66 | 11.31 | 19.22 |
| Industrial and Labouring Classes | 70.60 | 68.23 | 81.10 | 75.51 |
| 100. 00 | 100.00 | 100. 00 | 100 .00 | |
The proportion of the general as well as of the zymotic
mortality is seen, on reference to the table, to have been
less amongst the nobility and gentry and the middle and
trading classes, and greater amongst the professional
and the labouring classes, than the decennial average.
That it should have been greater amongst the latter in
the presence of the extensively prevalent and fatal epidemics
before referred to is not surprising; the cause of
the increase amongst the professional class however is
not apparent.
Infant The actual death-rate of infants calculated
Mortality. from the number of deaths under 1 year and
the number of births during the year was l3.6 per cent,
or not much above the decennial average which is
per cent. But the proportion of deaths of children relative
to the total mortality was excessive. Thus the