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 1901
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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15
The infant mortality in London during the first quarter of the year 1901 was 126, during
the second quarter 112, during the third quarter 203, and during the fourth quarter 152. Of the
several metropolitan boroughs Shoreditch had the highest (197), and Hampstead the lowest
infant mortality (104). During the year the infant mortality was highest in the eastern group
of districts (167) and lowest in the northern group (134).
Deaths from several classes of disease.
Deaths from the several classes of disease registered in the county of London (including the lunatic asylums and hospitals for infectious disease belonging to the county) are given by the Registrar-General in the Annual Summary of Births, Deaths and Causes of Deaith, and the following table has been prepared from the figures contained in the summary relating to the year 1901—
| Causes of death. | Corrected annual average 1891-1900. | 1901. |
|---|---|---|
| Zymotic diseases | 11,805 | |
| Parasitic „ | 45 | |
| Dietetic „ | 750 | |
| Constitutional diseases | 16,361 | |
| Developmental „ | 5,963 | |
| Nervous „ | 7,872 | |
| Diseases of organs of special sense | 175 | |
| Diseases of the circulatory system | 7,361 | |
| Respiratory diseases | 14,892 | |
| Diseases of the Digestive system | 5,148 | |
| ,, ,, Lymphatic „ | 148 | |
| „ „ Urinary | 2,558 | |
| ,, ,, Generative „ | 471 | |
| „ „ Locomotive „ | 204 | |
| „ „ Integumentary system | 345 | |
| Violence ("accident) | 2,834 | |
| Violence (other than accident) | 585 | |
| Other causes | 2,407 | |
The following table gives more detailed information concerning the principal diseases included in the constitutional, nervous, and respiratory groups—
| Causes of death. | Corrected annual average 1891-1900. | 1901. |
|---|---|---|
| Rheumatic fever, rheumatism of heart | ||
| Rheumatism | 88 | |
| Gout | 126 | |
| Rickets | 224 | |
| Cancer | 4,203 | |
| Tabes mesenterica | 818 | |
| Tubercular meningitis | 1,113 | |
| Phthisis | 7,735 | |
| Scrofula, tuberculosis | 948 | |
| Other constitutional diseases | 740 | |
| Apoplexy | 2,278 | |
| Epilepsy | 364 | |
| Convulsions | 1,536 | |
| Other diseases of the brain and nervous system | 3,694 | |
| Croup | 39 | |
| Bronchitis | 7,317 | |
| Pneumonia | 6,121 | |
| Pleurisy | 285 | |
| Other diseases of the respiratory system | 1,130 |
More exact comparison can be made of certain causes of death in London sanitary districts
by reference to the following table. The death rates shown in the table are fully corrected for
deaths in institutions (see footnote (1), page 9), but are uncorrected for differences in age and
sex distribution. In my next annual report it will be possible to publish the death rates for
some of these diseases corrected for differences in the age and sex constitution of the populations
of the several metropolitan boroughs.
1 See footnote (2), page 9.