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

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London County Council 1901

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

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16
The table indicates the progressive improvement which has taken place in successive periods
in the death rates in the last 40 years. Not only is this manifested in the death rate at "all ages,"
but at each age period and in each sex, the only exceptions shown being a slight increase in the last
decennium in the death rates of women at the ages 55 and upwards. It may be that the slight
increase at these ages is due to the fact that the deaths in the three earlier decennia are uncorrected
for deaths in metropolitan institutions situated within and without the county and as already stated,
correction has, as far as practicable, been made for such deaths in the figures relating to the last
decennium.
Table V. shows the probability, at various ages, of living one year in London according to the
experience of 1891-1900, and in Glasgow, Manchester, Brighton and England and Wales according to
the experience of 1881-90. In London the probabilities at the ages shown of living one year are
greater generally than those of Glasgow and Manchester, but less than those of Brighton and England
and Wales. The first year of life in London is an exception to this statement so far as relates to
Glasgow. In the period 1891-1900, however, infant mortality was generally higher than in the
preceding decennium. Thus in England and Wales in the earlier decennium the deaths under one
year of age per 1,000 births were 142, and in the later decennium 154. The probability, therefore, at
age 0, of living one year may be found to be less in Glasgow than in London when the experiences of
the same period are compared. It is interesting to observe that the probabilities of living one year at
ages 20 and 25 in the case of males, and at ages 15, 20, 25 and 35 in the case of females, are actually
greater in London than in England and Wales, the explanation of which will probably be found in
the facts (a) that the periods compared are not identical, and (b) the immigration at these ages of
healthy persons into London tends to increase the probabilities of living one year at these ages.
Table V.

The probability of living one year at various ages in London, 1891-1900, and in Glasgow, Manchester,Brighton and England and Wales in 1881-90.

Age.Males.Females.
London, 1891-1900.Glasgow, 1881-90.Manchester 1881-90.Brighton, 1881-90.England and Wales. 1881-90.London, 1891-1900.Glasgow, 1881-90.Manchester 1881-90.Brighton, 1881-90.England and Wales, 1881-90.
0•81588•82531•80650•84608•83896•84569•85318•84169•87672•86887
5•99141•98417•98707•99290•99168•99127•98511•98635•99405•99214
10•99775•99455•99397•99701•99805•99757•99497•99397•99726•99833
15-99689•99347•99576•99646-99713•99721•99370•99604•99710•99705
20•99588-99219•99447•99539•99520•99682•99180•99495•99683•99511
25•99477•99187•99168•99403•99364•99597-99028-99255•99589•99379
35-98880•98831•98449•98964-98981•99142-98738-98732•99271•99076
45-98177•97920-97513•98311•98437•98657•98293-98096•98857•98765
55-96892•96469•95904•97369•97398•97673•97085•96646•98098•97910
65•94348•93675•92307•95406•94943•95562•94646-93538-96487•95801
75•88619•88267-85891•91501•89542•90371•90403•87615•91233•90721

The following table (VI.) shows the number surviving at certain ages out of 100,000 born in
London according to the experience of 1891-1900, and in Glasgow, Manchester, Brighton and England
and Wales according to the experience of 1881-90. So far as the comparison of the two different
periods indicates London is at each age more favourably situated in this respect than Glasgow and
Manchester, and less favourably situated than Brighton and England and Wales.
Table VI.

Number surviving at certain ages out of 100,000 born in London in 1891-1900, and in Glasgow, Manchester, Brighton and England and Wales in 1881-90.

Age.Males.Females.
London, 1891-1900.Glasgow, 1881-90.Manchester 1881-90.Brighton, 1881-90.England and Wales, 1881-90.London, 1891-1900.Glasgow, 1881-90.Manchester 1881-90.Brighton, 1881-90.England and Wales, 1881-90.
0100,000100,000100,000100,000100,000100,000100,000100,000100,000100,000
571,89866,87067,89675,12575,14974,93769,99271,79278,54678,324
1070,15263,55064,67573,34473,34873,05066,86568,25676,81176,615
1569,29561,79963,07672,50172,61972,15165,10966,61475,83975,906
2068,07259,61061,64471,01571,25571,08962,83165,21974,73374,432
2566,55557,28859,64569,27369,38169,87660,10863,30073,47072,479
3561,74252,14853,17364,09063,96465,94453,80257,33569,50867,099
4553,47144,65343,66456,17556,44459,19646,59749,19263,47560,40]
5542,22434,06131,85945,30346,29849,72237,44138,32454,77951,637
6527,76421,21118,06732,45532,24836,17325,15624,02742,73138,550
7512,1998,7116,06916,66615,38918,59212,0749,45825,08020,421

• Further evidence of the higher rate of infantimortality obtaining in 1891-1900 may be seen on reference to tht Haydock
life tables previonsly mentioned. In the Haydock life table for 1881-90 the probability of living one year at age 0 (males) is
given as -86506, while in the life table for 1891-1900 this probability is shown to have fallen to -78510.