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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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Table: The following table from the annual summary of the Registrar-General shows in a summary form the excess and defect in the year 1902 under certain of the more important headings in the list of causes of death as compared with the corrected average in the previous ten years—

The following table from the annual summary of the Registrar-General shows in a summary form the excess and defect in the year 1902 under certain of the more important headings in the list of causes of death as compared with the corrected average in the previous ten years—

Cause of death.Diminution in 1902.Excess in 1902.
Smallpox—1,245
Measles349—
Scarlet fever302—
Typhus5—
Influenza358—
Whooping cough291—
Diphtheria1,107—
Pyrexia (origin uncertain)6—
Enteric fever72—
Diarrhœa1,253—
Phthisis and other tuberculous diseases (including scrofula)1,439—
Cancer—608
Premature birth—59
*Diseases of nervous system743—
*Diseases of circulatory system
†Diseases of respiratory system1,242—
Diseases of urinary system—214
Childbirth and puerperal septic diseases88—
Accident280—
Homicide—2
Suicide—52
All other causes1,378—
Net diminution or excess6,733—

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Comparison can be made of certain causes of death in London sanitary areas by reference
to the following table. The death-rates shown in the table are fully corrected for deaths in
institutions. (See footnote (1), p. 12), and in the case of phthisis and cancer "factors for correction
for differences in age and sex constitution" have been calculated, and these factors and
the corrected death-rates are shown on pp. 66 and 69.

Table: Death-rates per100,000living from all causes, and from various causes, in each of the metropolitanboroughs,1902(365days).

Death-rates per100,000living from all causes, and from various causes, in each of the metropolitan

boroughs,1902(365days).

Metropolitan Boroughs.Measles.Rheumatic fever.Carcinoma.Sarcoma.Cancer.Tabes mesenterica.Tubercular meningitis.Phthisis.Other tubercular diseases.Pneumonia.Other respiratory diseases.All other causes.All causes.
Paddington567506401117107121251708521,453
Kensington52841741521122201571758801,529
Hammersmith67439541918143141511649721,627
Fulham1178432301328140192061679391,712
Chelsea92553845518145202121939971,793
Westminster, City of23848851816178141711758931,593
St. Marylebone7411536511517187181542131,0081,807
Hampstead174691329616907751066501,082
St. Pancras468566411523191222031581,0861,855
Islington328526401423149121591889621,645
Stoke Newington812352481221124211181417871,329
Hackney339325511725144261411328791,494
Holborn537537481924301192512601,1112,153
Finsbury817403382527228262013151,2902,281
London, City of39—701274431156162342071,1812,024
Shoreditch7312506481137181311672361,2262,078
Bethnal-green455587182226199282232761,1642,071
Stepney556415212032188342322071,2112,052
Poplar409485322424174171542341,1641,925
Southwark799586202228260282582031,1682,139
Bermondsey11716559311836181262562011,1182,064
Lambeth2584510461426169212001701,0061,740
Battersea5911425391315130131281838511,489
Wandsworth41846542111694131151088541,353
Camberwell467448431125154151501709561,629
Deptford635499381025107191171631,0231,628
Greenwich397449332316120141341639521,554
Lewisham201159435111710718981128631,355
Woolwich323403431220150121001369481,499
London518486391423160201701809931,717
* For purposes of comparison deaths from infective endocarditis are included under this heading, † For purposes of comparison deaths from epidemic pneumonia are included under this heading.