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 1896
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
This page requires JavaScript
10
In previous annual reports it has been shown that a more accurate estimate of the effect on the
community of fluctuations of mortality could be obtained by the use of a " life table " and the following
figures, calculated from the Ex and Qx columns of the life table for London, 1881-90,* were utilized
for this purpose—
| Age groups. | Males. | Females. | Age groups. | Males. | Females. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tears. | Years. | Years. | Years. | ||
| 0— | 4906 | 52.69 | 35— | 24.19 | 27.24 |
| 5— | 4894 | 52.68 | 45— | 18.15 | 20.57 |
| 10— | 45-05 | 48.80 | 55— | 12.95 | 14.56 |
| 15— | 40-79 | 44.55 | 65— | 8.89 | 9.78 |
| 20— | 36-70 | 40.39 | 75— | 6.35 | 6.74 |
| 25— | 3104 | 34.51 | 85 and upwards | 2.75 | 2.85 |
By comparing the mean deaths occurring at each age-period in 1891-6 with the deaths which
would have occurred at these age-periods if the death-rates of 1881-90 had still been maintained, the
difference between the two sets of figures will be the number of lives gained or lost at each age-period
by fluctuations of mortality, and by applying to these differences the figures in the preceding table the
actual gain or loss may be expressed in " life capital."
The result of this process is shown in the following table—
| Age groups. | Deaths calculated according to mean rates 1881-90. | Mean deaths occurring in the six years 1891-6. | Mean annual gain (+) or loss (—) of lives in the six years 1891-6 by fluctuations of mortality. | Mean annual gain (+) or Ions (—) oflife capital "in the Fix years 1891-6 by fluctuat ions of mortality. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. 0— | 18,695 | 18,239 | + 456 | +22,371 |
| 5— | 1,374 | 1,229 | + 145 | + 7,096 |
| 10— | 618 | 546 | + 72 | + 3,244 |
| 15— | 820 | 756 | + 64 | + 2,611 |
| 20— | 1,083 | 980 | + 103 | + 3,780 |
| 25— | 2,961 | 2,673 | + 288 | + 8,940 |
| 35— | 3,779 | 3,678 | + 101 | + 2,443 |
| 45— | 4,240 | 4,218 | + 22 | + 399 |
| 55— | 4,189 | 4,249 | — 60 | — 777 |
| 65— | 4,032 | 4,020 | + 12 | + 107 |
| 75— | 2,251 | 2,233 | + 18 | + 114 |
| 85 and upwards | 461 | 432 | + 29 | + 80 |
| All ages | 44,503 | 43,253 | + 1,250 | +50,408 |
| Females. 0— | 16,376 | 15,891 | + 485 | +25,555 |
| 5— | 1,363 | 1,289 | + 74 | + 3,898 |
| 10— | 623 | 561 | + 62 | + 3,026 |
| 15— | 806 | 714 | + 92 | + 4,099 |
| 20— | 1,058 | 917 | + 141 | + 5,695 |
| 25— | 2,686 | 2,395 | + 291 | + 10,042 |
| 35— | 3,203 | 3,116 | + 87 | + 2,370 |
| 45— | 3,455 | 3,426 | + 29 | + 597 |
| 55— | 3,876 | 3,955 | — 79 | — 1,150 |
| 65— | 4,695 | 4,666 | + 29 | + 284 |
| 75— | 3,458 | 3,479 | — 21 | — 142 |
| 85 and upwards | 982 | 961 | + 21 | + 60 |
| All ages | 42,581 | 41,370 | + 1,211 | +54,334 |
| Total | 87,084 | 84,623 | + 2,46] | + 104,742 |
* See Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health, 1893, pp. 10.