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
London County Council 1895
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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45
Phthisis.
The deaths from phthisis in the administrative county of London during 1895 were 7,755, being
in excess of those during 1894. The death rates of this disease per 1,000 living in the registration
county of London in successive periods have been as follows—
1851-60 2.86
1861-70 2.84
1871-80 2.51
1881-90 2.09
1891 2.02
1892 1.89
1893 1.91
1894 1.74
1895 1.831
The Registrar-General in the annual summary for 1895 relating to London has distributed the
deaths from phthisis occurring in public institutions belonging to London to the sanitary districts to
which they belong, and it is therefore possible to compare the phthisis death rates of the various
sanitary districts.
The following table shows the number of deaths from phthisis, and the death rate per 1,000 living in the various sanitary districts in 1895—
| Sanitary district. | Deaths, 1895. | Death rate per 1,000 living, 1895. | Sanitary district. | Deaths, 1895. | Death rate per 1,000 living, 1895. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddington | 163 | 1.32 | Bethnal-green | 245 | 1.90 |
| Kensington | 253 | 1.49 | Whitechapel | 219 | 2.81 |
| Hammersmith | 160 | 1.56 | St. George-in-the-East | 113 | 2.40 |
| Fulham | 154 | 1.40 | Limehouse | 136 | 2.34 |
| Chelsea | 185 | 1.92 | Mile-end Old-town | 182 | 1.65 |
| St. George, Hanover-sq. | 105 | 1.32 | Poplar | 273 | 1.62 |
| Westminster | 125 | 2.32 | St. Saviour, Southwark | 84 | 3.28 |
| St. James | 35 | 1.50 | St. George, Southwark | 186 | 3.10 |
| Marylebone | 299 | 2.12 | Newington | 263 | 2.20 |
| Hampstead | 75 | 1.01 | St. Olave | 32 | 2.70 |
| Pancras | 428 | 1.79 | Bermondsey | 190 | 2.23 |
| Islington | 532 | 1.60 | Rotherhithe | 76 | 1.90 |
| Stoke Newington | 37 | 1.12 | Lambeth | 511 | 1.76 |
| Hackney | 314 | 1.49 | Battersea | 247 | 1.52 |
| St. Giles | 127 | 3.31 | Wandsworth | 213 | 1.17 |
| St. Martin-in-the-Fields | 24 | 1.81 | Camberwell | 394 | 1.58 |
| Strand | 76 | 3.16 | Greenwich | 268 | 1.54 |
| Holborn | 98 | 3.13 | Lewisham | 89 | 0.87 |
| Clerkenwell | 159 | 2.41 | Woolwich | 92 | 2.24 |
| St. Luke | 113 | 2.72 | Lee | 56 | 1.47 |
| London, City of | 51 | 1.56 | Plumstead | 90 | 1.55 |
| Shoreditch | 283 | 2.31 |
From this table may be seen the variations of the phthisis death rate in different districts of
London from 0.87 in Lewisham to 3.28 in St. Saviour, Southwark, and 3.31 in St. Giles.
The death rates2 in the various groups of London districts in 1895 were as follows—
West Group 1.55
Northl.63
Central „ 2.65
East „ 2.05
South „ 1.70
London 1.77
It appears, therefore, that the death rates in the central and east districts were in excess of that
of London as a whole, while the rates of the west, north and south groups were below that of London.
Cancer.
The deaths from cancer registered in London in 1895 numbered 3,612, the average for the
preceding ten years being 3,221.1.
The death rates of this disease per 1,000 living in successive periods have been as follows—
| 1851-60 | .42 | 1892 | .75 |
| 1861-70 | .48 | 1893 | .80 |
| 1871-80 | .55 | 1894 | .79 |
| 1881-90 | .68 | 1895 | .831 |
| 1891 | .78 |
1See footnote (1), page 10.
2See footnote (2), page 10.