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 1898
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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7
This table shews, therefore, that during the period 1891-8, as compared with the decennium
1881-90, there has been a mean annual saving of 4,161 lives, and this represents a mean annual
saving of 161,331 years of " life capital." In previous annual reports I have similarly dealt with the
mortality figures of the periods 1891-4, 1891-5, 1891-6 and 1891-7, and it is interesting to compare
the results obtained in the five periods, viz.:—
| Periods compared with 1881-90. | Mean annual number of lives gained. | Mean annual amount of " life capital " aineu. | Proportion of " life cap] al " gained to etch life gain d. |
|---|---|---|---|
| years. | years. | ||
| 1891-4 | 1,042 | 79,606 | 76,4 |
| 1891-5 | 1,304 | 85,519 | 65,6 |
| 1891-6 | 2,461 | 104,742 | 42,6 |
| 1891-7 | 3,587 | 142,460 | 39,7 |
| 1891-8 | 4,161 | 161,331 | 38,8 |
It will thus be seen that the mean annual number of lives saved has increased in each period,
while the amount of " life capital " in proportion to the number of lives saved has decreased, this
decrease being particularly marked in the periods 1891-6, 1891-7 and 1891-8. In my last annual
report I discussed these facts in some detail, and published an analysis of the mortality figures for the
period 1891-4, and each of the years 1895, 1896 and 1897, showing that the large proportion of " life
capital " gained to each life gained in the period 1891-4 was somewhat exceptional, and that the
successive addition of the facts for the years 1895, 1896 and 1897 caused a decline in the proportion
of " life capital" gained in the periods 1891-5, 1891-6 and 1891-7.
The following tables (IV., V. and VI.) are constructed on lines similar to those published in
my last annual report, with the addition of the figures for 1898. Bearing in mind the fact that the
amount of " life capital '* saved is not proportionate to the number of lives saved, but is dependent also
upon the ages of the lives saved, these tables furnish the material for estimating the effect of the
successive addition of the figures relating to the years 1895, 1896, 1897 and 1898, to those of the
period 1891-4,* and the decreasing proportion of life capital gained to each life gained in the periods
1891-5, 1891-6, 1891-7, and 1891-8, shown in Table III. may thus be more clearly appreciated.
* It should be pointed out that all figures relating to the period 1891-4 are mean annual,
| Age-period. | Death rates per 1,000 living. | Increase or decrease per cent. (compared with ceath ra es in 1881-90). | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1891-4. | 1895. | 1896. | 1897. | 1898. | 1891-4. | 1895. | 1896. | 1897. | 1898. | |
| 2153 | 21.00 | 19.90 | 19.58 | 20.05 | — 2.6 | — 5.0 | — 100 | — 11 4 | — 9-3 | |
| 0— | 70.87 | 72.72 | 71.30 | 65.63 | 68.95 | — 3.0 | — 0.5 | — 2.4 | — 10.2 | — 5-7 |
| 5— | 5.46 | 4-51 | 5.47 | 4.37 | 4.16 | — 7.9 | — 23.9 | — 7.8 | — 26.3 | — 29-8 |
| 10— | 2.63 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.47 | 2.01 | — 9.9 | — 13.7 | — 16.8 | — 15.4 | — 31.2 |
| 15— | 3.90 | 3.39 | 3.39 | 3.38 | 3.17 | — 3.7 | — 16.3 | —. 16.3 | — 16.5 | — 21.7 |
| 20— | 5.06 | 4.67 | 4.59 | 4.66 | 4.71 | — 7.0 | — 14.2 | — 15.6 | — 143 | — 13.4 |
| 25— | 8.08 | 7.59 | 6'94 | 7.03 | 7.20 | — 6.6 | — 12.3 | — 19.8 | — 18.7 | — 16.8 |
| 35— | 15.23 | 13.45 | 12.99 | 14.07 | 13.71 | † 1.8 | — 10.1 | — 13.2 | — 5.9 | — 8.4 |
| 45— | 24.61 | 23.21 | 20.86 | 22.54 | 22.48 | + 31 | — 2.8 | — 12. 6 | — 5.6 | — 5.8 |
| 55— | 43.15 | 41.87 | 37.10 | 39.87 | 41.74 | 4. 4 | + 1.3 | — 10.2 | — 3.5 | + 1.0 |
| 65— | 80.58 | 76.92 | 67.15 | 67.90 | 68.16 | + 33 | — 1.3 | — 13.9 | — 12.9 | — 12.6 |
| 75— | 156.05 | 160.08 | 143.38 | 148.83 | 155.96 | + o.1 | + 2.7 | — 8.0 | — 4.6 | + o.o |
| 85 and | 288.41 | 288.99 | 232.81 | 256.25 | 269.35 | — 31 | — 2.9 | — 21.8 | — 139 | — 9.5 |
| upwards | ||||||||||
| Age.period. | Death rates per 1,000 living. | Incrtase or decrease per cent. (compared with death rates in 1881-90). | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1891-4. | 1895. | 1896. | 1697. | 1898. | 1891-4. | 1895. | 1896. | 1897. | 1898. | |
| 18.46 | 18.23 | 16.83 | 16.27 | 16.80 | — 2.0 | — 3.2 | — 10.6 | — 13.6 | — 10.8 | |
| 0— | 60.96 | 62.10 | 62.07 | 55.69 | 58.78 | — 3.6 | — 1.8 | — 1.9 | — 12.0 | — 71 |
| 5— | 5.72 | 4.79 | 5.36 | 4.58 | 4.08 | — 1.7 | — 17.7 | — 7.9 | — 21.3 | — 29.9 |
| 10— | 2.66 | 2.57 | 2.42 | 2.25 | 212 | — 8.0 | — 11.1 | — 16.3 | — 22.1 | — 26.6 |
| 15— | 3.32 | 2.94 | 2.82 | 2.77 | 2.63 | — 7.3 | — 17.9 | — 21.2 | — 22.6 | — 26.5 |
| 20— | 4.01 | 3.72 | 3.13 | 316 | 3.14 | — 8.9 | — 15.5 | — 28.9 | — 28.2 | — 28.6 |
| 25— | 6.33 | 5.77 | 5.41 | 5.30 | 5.26 | — 7.2 | — 15.4 | — 20.7 | — 22.3 | — 22.9 |
| 35— | 11.41 | 10.59 | 10.41 | 10.40 | 994 | — 01 | — 7.3 | — 8.8 | — 8.9 | — 13.0 |
| 45— | 17.53 | 17.03 | 15.34 | 15.86 | 16.59 | + 1.7 | — 1.2 | — 110 | — 8.0 | — 3.7 |
| 55— | 32.44 | 31.83 | 26.83 | 27.51 | 29 05 | + 5.4 | + 3.4 | — 12.8 | — 10.6 | — 5.6 |
| 65— | 65.80 | 6413 | 50.17 | 52.93 | 55.55 | + 4.0 | + 1.3 | — 20.7 | — 16.4 | — 12.2 |
| 75— | 136.60 | 146.18 | 117.59 | 12315 | 132.23 | + 1.7 | + 8.9 | — 12.4 | — 8.3 | — 1.5 |
| 85 and | 260.67 | 278.84 | 231.82 | 262.79 | 254.14 | — 1.5 | + 5.3 | — 12.4 | — 0.7 | — 40 |
| upwards | ||||||||||