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

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London County Council 1907

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

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14
relating to the two districts are in marked contrast. After every allowance has been made for the
undoubted advantages which Hampstead, compared with Shoreditch, enjoys by reason of its
topographical position it may be fairly claimed that the figures relating to Shoreditch serve to show
how much yet remains to be done for the improvement of the physical well-being of a large section of
the community, notwithstanding the material advances which have been made in the direction of
the improvement of public health in recent years. For it must be remembered that the population
of Shoreditch is but a sample of a much larger population in London and elsewhere whose mortality
rates are increased by causes which must be regarded as largely preventable. The death-rates of
several of the large Metropolitan boroughs closely approximate to those of Shoreditch, and if the
figures relating to these districts were translated into terms of "life expectation" the results would
probably compare as unfavourably with those of Hampstead as do the results obtained for
Shoreditch.
Another interesting comparison between the two districts which can be instituted is that of
the number surviving in each district at each age out of 100,000 born, and these figures are shown in
the following table:—

Table IV.

Number surviving at certain ages out of100,000born in Hampstead and Shoreditch, 1901-1905.

Age.Males.Females.
Hampstead.Shoreditch.Hampstead.Shoreditch.
0100,000100,000100,000100,000
585,06269,86287,43273,453
1583,21067,62785,85071,134
2580,87064,96284,35268,859
3577,87560,16182,07965,073
4571,90051,48277,99358,014
5562,39639,88370,67947,380
6548,82526,22858,76333,092
7529,73910,94638,32816,221

This table shows that the average unit in Shoreditch begins life under more adverse conditions
than the average unit in Hampstead, but whether those who survive the greater risks to
infant life which obtain in Shoreditch are still subject at the later ages to conditions which are more
adverse to longevity will be better seen on reference to the following table (V.), which shows the
numbers surviving given age-periods out of 1,000 entering them; by this method of comparison, the
effect of a high infant mortality on the total survivors at any age out of a given number born is
eliminated, and the effects of the conditions affecting longevity obtaining for particular age-periods
can be more clearly appreciated.

Table V.

Of1,000entering given age-periods, the number surviving through the period.

Age-period.Males.Females.
Hampstead.Shoreditch.Hampstead.F Shoreditch.
0—5851699874735
5 —15978968982968
15 —25972961983968
25—45889792925843
45—65679509753570

This table shows, therefore, that, judged by the mortality experience of the period 1901-5, the
conditions which adversely affect longevity in Shoreditch compared with Hampstead are operative
at each age-period shown in the table, although the effect of these conditions varies with the age-period.
Thus, comparing males in the two communities, out of 1,000 born in Shoreditch 301 die before reaching
five years of age, while in Hampstead, out of 1,000 born, only 149 die before reaching the age of five
years. Again, out of 1,000 children aged five in Shoreditch 32 die before reaching the age of 15, while
in Hampstead the corresponding number is 22. At ages 25-45, when probably, so far as the community
is concerned, the economic value of life is at a maximum, the differences in the two communities is
most marked. Thus, of 1,000 males aged 25 living in Shoreditch 208 die before reaching the age of
45 years, while the corresponding figure for Hampstead is only 111.