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
London County Council 1895
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
This page requires JavaScript
The density of the population in Fulham, as measured by the average number of inhabitants per acre and per inhabited house in the census year 1891 and previous censuses, was as follows :—
| Per acre. | Per inhabited house. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1861 | 9 | 6.2 |
| 1871 | 14 | 6.7 |
| 1881 | 25 | 7.3 |
| 1891 | 54 | 7.1 |
In the registration County of London in 1891 there was an average of 56 persons to each
acre, and 7.7 persons per inhabited house.
The proportion of the population living in one and in two rooms was in 1891 less than in the other
districts of London except Camberwell, Greenwich, Hackney, Hampstead, Lewisham, Plumstead and
Wandsworth. The number of persons living in one room was greater, and in two rooms less than in
Battersea.
In the last census return of the population of Fulham it is shown that the total number of
inhabitants, viz., 91,639, consisted of 42,861 males or 46.8 per cent., and 48,778 females or 53.2 per
cent. The proportion which obtained in London was 47.8 per cent. males and 52.7 per cent. females.
The following figures give the proportion of persons of each sex at different age periods. The figures for London generally are also given:—
| 0- | 5- | 10- | 15- | 20- | 25- | 35- | 45- | 55- | 65- | 75 and upwards | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulham— | |||||||||||
| Males | 7.12 | 6.15 | 4.94 | 3.84 | 3.76 | 8.19 | 6.08 | 3.72 | 1.76 | 0.91 | 0.30 |
| Females | 7.06 | 6.27 | 5.17 | 4.49 | 5.11 | 9.79 | 6.69 | 4.09 | 2.53 | 1.46 | 0.57 |
| London— | |||||||||||
| Males | 5.92 | 5.36 | 4.90 | 4.69 | 4.61 | 7.92 | 5.85 | 4.11 | 2.35 | 1.20 | 0.37 |
| Females | 5.99 | 5.42 | 4.99 | 5.21 | 5.56 | 9.11 | 6.49 | 4.64 | 2.92 | 1.72 | 0.69 |
A marked difference in the constitution of these two populations is the excess of persons under
15 years and between the ages 25-45 in Fulham. The relatively greater proportion of persons at
these ages is probably due to newly-married persons, and persons with young families having taken up
their abode in Fulham, consequent upon the large number of houses which have been built there of
late years. The high birth rate which prevails in Fulham no doubt largely accounts for the excess of
persons under 15 years, but the presence of the Western Fever Hospital in the district may to a small
extent have some effect.
In the next table are given the birth and death rates for Fulham and London respectively.
The rates for Fulham have been calculated upon the number of deaths occuring in the parish
after the correction for the deaths of non-residents. These figures have been supplied by Dr. Jackson
the medical officer of health of Fulham.
The rates from all causes so obtained, as well as those for London generally, have been further corrected for age and sex distribution by the factor given by the Council's medical officer in his annual report.
| Fulham. | London. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth rate. | Death rate. | Deaths under one year old to 1,000 births. | Zymotic death rate. | Birth rate. | Death rate. | Deaths under one year old to 1,000 births. | Zymotic death rate. | |
| 1891 | 38.7 | 21.3 | 163 | 3.18 | 31.8 | 22.4 | 153 | 2.27 |
| 1892 | 35.3 | 19.8 | 166 | 3.5 | 30.9 | 21.6 | 154 | 2.80 |
| 1893 | 35.4 | 20.2 | 177 | 3.3 | 30.9 | 22.3 | 163 | 3.04 |
| 1894 | 34.9 | 18.4 | 149 | 3.9 | 30.1 | 18.6 | 143 | 2.64 |
Fulham shows a considerably higher birth rate than that which prevailed in London during
these years, and though in both cases the rates have decreased, the decrease is more marked in the former.
During the same period both the infantile mortality and the zymotic death rate have been
greater than in London, but the rates for deaths from all causes have been less except during the
year 1894.
The houses in the parish of Fulham consist for the most part of two-storey buildings, and
generally speaking, they are well situated as regards light and air. In a few instances, however, the
open space at the rear of houses cannot be regarded as adequate, owing to the fact that the rear wall
of the back addition portion of the house has been built up to the rear boundary of the site, leaving
open space which extends for a portion only of the entire width of the house. In one instance, where