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

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London County Council 1944

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

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4
Births
The live births allocated to London during 1944 numbered 44,554 compared
with 45,030 in the preceding year. The live.birth rate was 18.1 per thousand, the
rate for 1943 being 18.0.
Deaths
The deaths in the civil population of London during 1944 numbered 41,077,
giving a death.rate of 16.7 per thousand, compared with 15.7 in 1943. Of the
total deaths, 19,643, or 47.8 per cent., were among females.
Street
accidents

There were 268 deaths from street accidents. A comparison of the age distribution of deaths from this cause in each of the last six years is given in the following table:—

Year (a)Age group
0.55.1515.4 545.6565 +All ages
19391449128134194519
19402432144144199543
1941112877116141373
19421432667599286
1943928476679229
194413414962103268

(a) 1939 = 52 weeks. 1940.1944 = calendar years.
The death.rates from all causes and from certain specified causes in each metropolitan
borough in 1944 and in London as a whole in 1944 and preceding years will
be found in the tables on pages 9 and 10.
Infant
mortality
The deaths under one year of age per thousand live births were 51, as in the
preceding year.

The movements of the death.rates from the principal diseases at ages below one year since 1910 are shown in the following table:—

Cause of death1911 to 19141915 to 19181919 to 19221923 to 19261927 to 19301931 to 19341935 to 19381939 to 1942194219431944
Measles3.403.841.642.022.071.440.950.210.200.510.09
Whooping.cough3.634.452.502.603.142.272.011.331.481152.13
Influenza0.27M00.810.380.480.400.240.360.300.440.27
Tuberculosis3.403.201.521.260.890.770.560.590.520.530.22
Bronchitis6.416.724.422.912.302.161.971.692.191.671.39
Pneumonia12.2814.9612.6011.5112.1011.4510.397.137.438.047.45
Diarrhoea24.2816.1012.169.368.8710.8612.106.497.679.449.02
Premature birth181617.4217.0014.7414.1714.9113.4111.6713.5011.6612.03
Congenitaldefects14.6914.6611.268.397.387.226.359.4111.5411.4410.10
Other causes21.4820.5515.0911.8312.6013.5212.307.595.245.847.79
All causes108103796564656046505151

Infectious diseases
The attack.rates and death.rates of the principal infectious diseases in London
during 1944 and earlier years and for the constituent metropolitan boroughs in 1944
are shown in the table on page 9.
Anthrax
No case of anthrax was notified during the year.
Measles
During 1944, 7,499 cases of measles were notified, compared with 22,882 in
1943, the attack.rate being 3.05 per thousand against 9.18 in 1943. The deaths
numbered 7, giving a death.rate of .00 per thousand and a case.mortality of .1
per cent.
The rates for 1943 were .0.2 and .0 respectively.
The death-rates in London and England and Wales in recent years are shown
in the following table:—