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 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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| Year. | 0– | 1– | 2– | 5– | 10– | 15– | 20– | 25– | 35– | 45– | 55– | 65 + | All ages. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919–22 | 7,836 | 2,131 | 1,919 | 1,376 | 853 | 1,175 | 1,318 | 3,103 | 4,238 | 6,414 | 8,265 | 19,828 | 58,456 |
| 1923–26 | 5,546 | 1,611 | 1,453 | 828 | 637 | 1,013 | 1,220 | 2,479 | 3,659 | 6,080 | 8,456 | 21,004 | 53,986 |
| 1927 | 4,357 | 1,181 | 1,152 | 788 | 527 | 992 | 1,254 | 2,420 | 3,620 | 6,434 | 9,073 | 23,372 | 55,170 |
| 1928 | 4,879 | 1,556 | 1,278 | 863 | 484 | 1,042 | 1,215 | 2,362 | 3,375 | 5,869 | 8,705 | 22,267 | 53,895 |
| 1929 | 4,995 | 1,642 | 1,217 | 842 | 502 | 1,047 | 1,272 | 2,528 | 3,765 | 6,907 | 10,491 | 27,681 | 62,889 |
The marked increase in the number of deaths in 1929 was due to the severe
influenza epidemic, associated with an unusually rigorous winter, and, in addition,
the epidemic prevalence of whooping-cough.
Fatal street accidents continue to increase in number, the total being 814 in
the 52 registration weeks of 1929 as against 747 in 1928. Among children under
15 years of age, the deaths numbered 169, this being 20 more than in the preceding
year.
The death-rates from all causes and from certain specified causes in each metropolitan
borough and in London as a whole will be found in the table on page 18.
Infant
mortality
The weather conditions in the summer of 1929 were such that an epidemic
of infantile diarrhoea might have been anticipated: it is remarkable, when one
considers the result of such weather conditions in 1911, that the rise in the diarrhœal
mortality was so small compared with 1928 and less than half that of the mean of
the rate for 1911 to 1914.
The mortality from whooping-cough was heavy and this was the main factor
contributing to an increase of the rate of infant mortality from 67 in 1928 to 71 in
1929.
The following table gives an analysis of the principal causes of infantile deaths during recent years :—
| Cause of Death. | 1911 to 1914. | 1915 to 1918. | 1919 to 1922. | 1923 to 1926. | 1924. | 1925. | 1926. | 1927. | 1928. | 1929. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measles | 3.40 | 3.84 | 1.64 | 2.02 | 3.37 | 0.87 | 2.88 | 0.63 | 3.93 | 0.61 |
| Whooping-cough | 3.63 | 4.45 | 2.50 | 2.60 | 2.30 | 4.58 | 1.29 | 3.08 | 2.45 | 6.15 |
| Influenza | 0.27 | 1.10 | 0.81 | 0.38 | 0.62 | 0.38 | 0.34 | 0.46 | 0.23 | 0.96 |
| Tuberculosis | 3.40 | 3.20 | 1.52 | 1.26 | 1.20 | 1.48 | 1.14 | 1.05 | 0.95 | 0.77 |
| Bronchitis | 6.41 | 6.72 | 4.42 | 2.91 | 3.62 | 3.02 | 2.59 | 2.12 | 2.56 | 2.87 |
| Pneumonia | 12.28 | 14.96 | 12.60 | 11.51 | 14.13 | 12.27 | 10.59 | 11.37 | 13.03 | 14.15 |
| Diarrhœa | 24.28 | 16.10 | 12.16 | 9.36 | 7.89 | 9.72 | 10.78 | 6.97 | 9.52 | 9.93 |
| Premature birth | 18.16 | 17.42 | 17.00 | 14.74 | 15.89 | 14.31 | 14.11 | 13.94 | 14.22 | 14.81 |
| Congenital defects | 14.69 | 14.66 | 11.26 | 8.39 | 7.96 | 8.70 | 8.12 | 7.17 | 7.60 | 7.65 |
Infectious Diseases.
The notification attack-rates and death-rates of the principal infectious diseases
in London and the constituent metropolitan boroughs are shown in the tables on
pags 18-19.
Smallpox.
The mild type of smallpox (variola minor) which invaded London during 1928,
became established in many parts of the metropolitan area daring 1929. The fact
that the disease was in many cases so benign in character, associated in certain
instances with a few spots with little or no promonitory illness, rendered the task of
controlling the disease extremely difficult. Missed or ambulant cases were constantly
discovered, many of them being free from infection when detected during
the investigation of a secondary, or even tertiary, crop of cases to which they had
given rise. It was, therefore, not surpring to find that in congested districts like
the East end of London where the population was largely unprotected by vaccination,
the disease made rapid progress in spite of all the precautions which were taken.
The discovery of cases in the in-patients' and out-patients' departments of hospitals,