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26
That the growth of the areas immediately adjacent to the County of London has
largely been due to the outward movement of the London population is exemplified
by reference to the population of the County of Middlesex, which in 1871 was
242,374, while in 1911 it had increased to 1,126,465. The census of that year
shows that of this population, 32 per cent, were Londoners by birth, and a considerable
proportion of the remainder must necessarily be children of Londoners. A
discussion of the outward movement of the London population will be found in the
County Medical Officer of Health's report for the year 1913, pages 2 and 3, where
it is shown that, as a result, there has been a loss of population of the younger ages
in London north of the Thames. This outward movement represents a continuous
loss for many years past of the young and progressive element of the population of
the county, and the loss of this "selected" element may, as suggested, be accountable
for some part of the excess of the phthisis mortality in the residual London population
at the higher ages. In the following table the phthisis death-rates for both sexes
together for London and Middlesex in the period 1920-22 are compared. The rates
are per 100,000 living at each age :—
The increase
in recent
years of
phthsis
among young
women.
Excess of
Age-group. Middlesex County. London County. London rate. Excess per cent.
15-25 191 239 48 25
25-45 235 293 58 25
45-65 207 339 132 64
65+ 94 215 121 129
Attention was drawn in the annual report of the County Medical Officer of
Health for 1922 (p.11) to the remarkable increase which had occurred in the
mortality from phthisis among young adults. especially among young women, and
the figures there given are reproduced here, together with the corresponding rates
for the past three years, which show that the increased rate is still maintained.
The rates shown are per 100,000 of population.
Period. 0- 5- 10- 15- 20- 25- 35- 45- 55- 65- 75Males-
1900-02 51 15 17 82 172 260 443 519 427 317 131
1911-13 37 15 17 72 148 208 320 360 364 263 150
1920-22 16 5 14 84 151 151 210 261 235 168 82
1923-25 11 5 15 75 147 154 198 225 202 141 57
Females-
1900-02 42 23 32 76 97 150 251 214 166 121 77
1911-13 32 15 35 81 96 117 159 153 127 113 66
1920-22 18 9 31 111 131 114 111 96 81 81 53
1923-25 13 8 25 106 126 109 90 80 68 50 33
Figures subsequently available relating to England and Wales show that an
increase has also occurred in the country as a whole. The increase is greater in London
than in the aggregate of urban and of rural districts in England and Wales.
The figures for the periods 1911-13, 1920-22 and 1923-25 for ages 15 to 25 for females
in the three classes of population (deaths per 100,000 living) are as follows :—
Period. London. England and Wales. Urban Districts. Rural Districts.
1911-13 89 107 103 106
1920-22 122 122116 116
Increase 33 15 13 10
„ percent. 36.9 13.8 12. 6 9.2
A short life-.able for females of England and Wales for the period 1911-20 shows
that the amount of migration among young women has changed somewhat from
that found in the decennium 1901-10, but such changes as have occurred will not