London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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London County Council 1892

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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9
The accompanying chart (III.) shows the districts having in 1885-92 a mean birth-rate of
over 36 per 1,000 of population, of 32 to 36, of 25 to 32, and of under 25.

Deaths.

The London death-rate since the year 1870 has been as follows—

187124.6187721.6188320.8188819.3
187221.51878231188420.9188918.4
187322.4187922.6188520.4189021.4
187422.4188021.7188620.6189121.4
187523.6188121.3188720.3189220.4
187621.9188221.5

The death rate had therefore, with slight exception, been falling from the year 1882 to 1889,
but in 1890 and 1891 had been higher than in any year since 1882, and in 1892 higher than in any
year since 1886, excepting the years 1890 and 1891.
Diagram III. shows the excess or defect of the death rate in each year in relation to the mean
death rate for the period 1841-92.
In the year 1885 the Registrar-General began to distribute to the several London sanitary districts to
which they belong the deaths from all causes and from certain zymotic diseases occurring in London,
and in institutions belonging to London but situated beyond the limits of the county, and the death
rate for each sanitary district, corrected in this sense can therefore be obtained for each year since 1884.
It is, however, a well recognised fact that in comparing death rates of different areas due regard
should be paid to differences of age and sex distribution in the populations upon which such death
rates are calculated.
The age and sex distribution of the populations of London sanitary districts exhibit considerable
variations owing to the diverse character of the population comprised within the limits of the county.
Thus in the industrial and lower riverside districts, compared with London as a whole, there is generally
an excess of males over females at all ages, and a marked excess of persons living in the prime of life and
the healthy ages; on the other hand, in the districts which are principally or wholly residential in
character, an excess of females at ages 15 and upwards is noticeable owing to the greater demand for
domestic servants. Considerable differences are also observable in the proportion of children ur.der 5
years of age in the various districts.
For the purpose of comparing the death rates of London districts, correction should be made for
these differences in the constitution of the various populations and the "factors for correction" shown
in the following table have been calculated for this purpose, and are based on the age and sex distribution
of the various districts as enumerated in 1891, and the mean annual death rate for each sex at
each age period in England and Wales in 1881-90.
The method of calculation is similar to that employed by the Registrar-General in his calculations
relating to the 33 large towns of England and Wales, and may be briefly described as follows:—
Given (1) Age and sex distribution of population of district A at last census.
(2) Death rate for each sex at each age period in England and Wales in the last decennium.
To find factor for correcting recorded death rate of A for differences of age and sex
distribution between A and England and Wales.
Applying (1) to (2) gives standard death rate for A, say x, i.e., a death rate which would be
correct on the assumption that the rates of mortality at each age period and for each sex were identical
with the mean rates in England and Wales in the last decennium.
The difference between x and the death rate for England and Wales, say y, will on the above
assumption be entirely due to differences of age and sex distribution in the two populations concerned,
and - will therefore represent the factor for correcting the recorded death rate of A.

Recorded and Corrected Death Rates per 1,000 persons living in Sanitary Districts of London in 1892.

Sanitary area.Standard death rate.Factor for correction for age and sex distribution.Recorded death rate, 1892.Corrected death rate, 1892.Comparative mortality figure, 1892. [London 1,000.]Sanitary area.Standard death rate.Factor for correction for age and sex distribution.Recorded death rate, 1892.Cor-rected death rate, 1892.Comparative mortality figure, 1892. [London 1000.]
England and Wales.1915190190Plumstead18.511.0345815.215.7727
Poplar18.491.0356922.423.21,074
London17.961.0662620.321.61,000Rotlierhithe18.491.0356921.422.21,028
Battersea17.801.0758418.019.4898St. George, Hanover-square17.341.1043817.519.3894
Bermondsey18.101.0580123.024.31,125
Bethnal-green18.391.0413323.124.11,116St. George-inthe-East18.431.0390727.728.81,333
Camberwell18.101.0580118.819.9921
Chelsea17.951.0668520.622.01,019St. George, South wark17.351.1037521.927.51,273
Clerkenwell17.281.1082224.827.51,273
Fulham18.271.0481719.920.9968St. Giles17.271.1088623.626.21,213
Greenwich18.631.0279119.219.7912St. James17.161.1159718.120.2935
Hackney18.231.0504717.218.1838St. Luke17.721.0807026.128.21,306
Hammersmith18.051.0609419.620.8963St. Martin-inthe-Fields15.741.2166522.927.91,292
Hampstead16.631.1515312.314.2657
Holborn17.621.0868327.329.71,375St. Marylebone17.821.0746421.823.41,083
Islington17.901.0698318.820.1931St. Olave18.421.0396327.028.11,301
Kensington17.381.1018417.619.4898St. Pancras17.891.0704322.023.51,088
Lambeth18.241.0498919.720.7958St. Saviour18.291.0470225.526.71,236
Lewisham17.921.0686414.715.7727Shoreditch18.451 0379423.023.91,106
Limehouse17.591.0886925.527.81,287Strand16.241.1791928.333.41,546
City of London16.651.1501522.025.31,171Wandsworth17.931.0680415.716.8778
Mile-end Oldtown18.581.0306823.123.81,102Westminster16.941.1304623.526.61,231
Whitecbapel17.741.0794824.826.81,241
Newington18.321.0453124.425.51,181Woolwich16.991.1271320.222.81,056
Paddington17.721.0807017.919.3894