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

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London County Council 1906

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

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Measles and overcrowding,1901-6.

Proportion of overcrowding in groups of sanitary areas.Measles death-rate at ages 0-5 years 1901-6, per 1,000 living.
Under 7.5 per cent.2.251
7.5 to 12.5 „ „3.571
12.5 to 20.0 „ „4.131
20.0 to 27.5 „ „4.801
Over 27.5 „ „4.481

If the London measles death-rate be compared with the death-rates of the following large English
towns, it will be seen that in the decennium 1896-1905 the London death-rate exceeded that of any of
these towns except Manchester, Sheffield, West Ham, Hull, and Salford, and in 1906 was higher than
the death-rates of Birmingham, Sheffield, Bristol, Hull, Nottingham and Leicester.

Measles—Death-rates per1,000persons living.

Town.1896-1905.1906.Town.1896-1905.1906.
London0.5120.412West Ham0.540.43
Liverpool0.470.78Bradford0.330.44
Manchester0.730.75Newcastle-upon-Tyne0.400.63
Birmingham0.450.40Hull0.530.24
Leeds0.460.59Nottingham0.430.02
Sheffield0.550.17Salford0.840.80
Bristol0.470.39Leicester0.330.35

The following table shows that in the decennium 1896-1905 the London measles death-rate was
higher than that of any of the undermentioned foreign towns except St. Petersburg, and in 1906
exceeded all except Amsterdam and St. Petersburg.

Measles—Death-rates per1,000persons living.

Town.1896-1905.1906.Town.1896-1905.1906.
London0.5120.412St. Petersburg0.620.82
Paris0.260.21Berlin0.210.25
Brussels0.190.18Vienna0.440.31
Amsterdam0.360.45Rome0.300.32
Copenhagen0.180.21New York0.190.28
Stockholm0.150.05

The following table shows the number of deaths from measles at several age-periods in each
of the sanitary areas. For the purposes of this table deaths occurring in public institutions belonging
to London have been distributed to the sanitary areas in which the deceased had previously resided.
(See footnote 2, page 7).

Measles—Deaths at the several age-periods in sanitary areas—1906 (365days).

Age-period.0—1—2—3—4—Under 5.5—10—15 and upwards.All Ages.
Paddington4911–151__16
Kensington3131843771–179
Hammersmith1420963525––57
Fulham10226765121–54
Chelsea13261053571––58
Westminster, City of11112116—–117
St. Marylebone1024641452–—47
Hampstead5211110—–—10
St. Pancras2943146597—–—97
Islington3675392281801311195
Stoke Newington25111101–—11
Hackney14291333623––65

1 See footnote (2), page 7.
(Continued on next page.)
2 See footnote (1), page 8.