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 1902
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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The columns showing "death-rates corrected for age and sex distribution" have been obtained by multiplying the crude death-rates by the " factor for correction,''* published by the Begistrar-General in the Annual Summary for 1902—
| Towns. | Estimated population middle of 1902. | Crude death-rate per 1,000 living. | Death-rate per 1,000 living (corrected for age and sex distribution). | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1892-1901. | 1902. | 1892-1901. | 1902. | ||
| London | 4579,110 | 19. 21 | 17.71 | 20.2 | 18.6 |
| Manchester. | 549,170 | 23.5 | 20.0 | 26.3 | 22.3 |
| Liverpool | 692,495 | 24.1 | 22.5 | 25.8 | 24.1 |
| Birmingham | 528,181 | 20.7 | 18.6 | 22.3 | 20.0 |
| Leeds | 437,037 | 19.9 | 17.6 | 21.7 | 19.2 |
| Sheffield | 418,177 | 20.4 | 17.1 | 22.0 | 18.4 |
| Bristol | 334,632 | 17.8 | 17.4 | 18.3 | 17.9 |
| Nottingham | 243,191 | 18.7 | 16.7 | 19.7 | 17.6 |
| Bradford | 281,771 | 18.4 | 15.8 | 20.3 | 17.5 |
| Hull | 245.449 | 19.4 | 17.2 | 19.9 | 17.6 |
| Salford | 224,007 | 23.7 | 19.3 | 26.2 | 21.3 |
| West Ham | 275,408 | 18.6 | 17.1 | 19.9 | 18.3 |
| Leicester | 216,389 | 17.7 | 14.9 | 18.9 | 15.9 |
| Newcastle | 219,150 | 21.1 | 19.9 | 22.8 | 21.5 |
London had, therefore (comparing the corrected death-rates), in 1902 a lower death-rate
than Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Salford, and Newcastle, and in the decennium
1892-1901 had a lower death-rate than any of these towns except Bristol, Nottingham, Hull,
West Ham, and Leicester.
The following table enables comparison to be made of the death-rates of London with
the death-rates of several foreign cities2—
All causes—Deatli-rate? per 1,000 living.
| Towns. | 1892-1901. | 1902. | Town.. | 1892-1901. | 1902. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 19.21 | 17.71 | St. Petersburg | 27.8 | 23.0 |
| Paris ... | 20.2 | 18.4 | Berlin | 18.7 | 16.1 |
| Brussels | 18.0 | 16.1 | Vienna | 21.7 | 19.4 |
| Amsterdam | 17.1 | 15.4 | Rome | 19.4 | 21.9 |
| Copenhagen | 18.5 | 15.4 | New York | 20.7 | 18.7 |
| Stockholm | 17.8 | 14.3 |
It will be seen that both in the period 1892-1901 and in 1902 the London death-rate
exceeded that of any of these towns except Paris, St. Petersburg, Vienna, Home, and New
York.
The following table shows the crude death-rates and the death-rates corrected for
differences in the age and sex constitution of the several metropolitan boroughs during the
year 1902—
Crude and corrected death-rates,s per 1,000 persons living, in the County of London
and the several metropolitan boroughs.
| District. | Standard death-rate. | Factor tor correction for age and sex distribution. | Crude death-rate, 1902. | Corrected death rate, 1902. | Comparative mortality figure, 1902 (London, 1,000). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 18.19 | — | — | — | |
| London | 17.31 | 1.05107 | 17.2 | ‡18.1 | 1.000 |
| Paddington | 17.10 | 1.06398 | 14.6 | 15.5 | 856 |
| Kensington | 17.05 | 1.06710 | 15.3 | 16.3 | 901 |
| Hammersmith | 17.47 | 1.04144 | 16.3 | 17.0 | 939 |
| Fulham . | 17.39 | 1.04623 | 17.1 | 17.9 | 989 |
| Chelsea | 17.57 | 1.03552 | 18.0 | 18.6 | 1,028 |
| Westminster, City of | 15.97 | 1.13926 | 16.1 | 18.3 | 1,011 |
* These factors are based upon the age and sex constitution of the respective populations at the census of 1901.
1 Including deaths of Londoners in the Metropolitan Workhouses, Hospitals and Lunatic Asylums, outside the County of London,
but excluding deaths of non-Londoners in the Willesden Workhouse, the London Fever Hospital, the Metropolitan Asylums Board's
Hospitals and the Middlesex County Lunatic Asylum, within the County of London.
2 All death-rates in this report relating to foreign cities are calculated upon figures published by the Registrar-General.
* All death-rates in this report relating to Metropolitan Boroughs are fully corrected for institutions; (see footnote (') page 12.