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 1910
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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56
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1910.
suffer exceptionally from phthisis.
This fact is especially indicated if the place of death be observed
in groups of districts, arranged in relation to "social condition," (a) as will be seen from the following
table:—
| Number of group of boroughs in order of "sooial condition." | Place of death of persons aged 25-55 in relation to "social condition," 1909-1910. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | |||||
| At home. | In workhouse. | In hospital or asylum. | At home. | In workhouse. | In hospital or asylum. | |
| I | 50.8 | 36.8 | 12.4 | 61.5 | 26.7 | 11.8 |
| II | 47.0 | 38.0 | 15.0 | 52.9 | 31.0 | 16.1 |
| III | 45.9 | 43.3 | 10.8 | 56.3 | 33.1 | 10.6 |
| IV. | 41.3 | 50.3 | 8.4 | 58. 6 | 33. 7 | 7.7 |
| V | 36.5 | 54.3 | 9.2 | 47.1 | 40.0 | 12.9 |
An exception to the general trend of the figures is seen in the proportions dying in hospital, both
in the case of males and females, in groups II. and V., due probably to the fact that in those groups
there are hospitals for consumption.
The deaths in hospitals for consumption in the five groups were as follow:—
| Group. | Deaths in hospitals for consumptives. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1909. | 1910. | Total. | |
| I. | 34 | 21 | 55 |
| II. | 70 | 87 | 157 |
| III. | - | — | - |
| IV. | - | - | - |
| V. | 103 | 110 | 213 |
The existence of a hospital for consumption in the neighbourhood thus appears to affect the
figures, and indeed maly in some degree affect the phthisis death-rate of the locality by leading in the
first instance to the residence in it of persons suffering from phthisis who desire to take advantage
of the opportunities for treatment given by the out-patient department. Again, the existence
of common lodging-houses may affect the phthisis death-rates of the districts in which they are situated.
The percentage of deaths of males which occur at home in 1910 ranges between 22-1 in St. Marylebone
and 64-6 in Woolwich, and the percentage of deaths of females which occur at home, between 39-1 in
Holborn, and 93-3 in Stoke Newington. In every district except four the proportion of male deaths
which occur at home is less than the proportion of female deaths. The exceptions are Hackney 49*4
per cent, of males and 46*2 per cent, of females, Kensington 55-7 males and 52-5 females, Battersea
61*0 males and 59*5 females, and Woolwich G4*6 males and 60*0 females.
Information as to the length of institutional treatment immediately prior to death in the
case of 46 persons dying in the Paddington Workhouse and Infirmary was given in Dr. Dudfield* a
report for the year 1909.
In his report for the year 1910 Dr. Dudfield gives like particulars in respect
of 35 persons dying in Poor Law institutions, the length of institutional treatment immediately prior to death being as follows:—
| Duration of treatment in Poor Law Institutions —Paddington, 1910. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 week. | 1—4 weeks. | 1—3 months. | 3—6 months. | 6—9 months. | 9—12 months. | Under 1 year. | 1—2 years. | 2—3 years. | "Years." |
| 2 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 30 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Moreover, Dr. Dudfield states the duration of isolation in months of 21 patients, the period of whose illness had lasted less than three years. Thus:—
| Duration of disease in years. | Duration of isolation in months. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0— | 1— | 3— | 6— | 9— | 12 + | |
| 0— | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | - | - |
| 1— | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - |
| 2—3 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 |