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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 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
- Published
- 1956
- Pages
- 203
- Tables
- 152
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LONDON ADMINISTRATIVE COUNTY VITAL STATISTICS, 1955 Figures in brackets are for 1954
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Deaths:—
-
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Deaths of infants :—
Legitimate Illegitimate Total -
Page 3
Maternal mortality :—
Postabortion Other pregnancy and childbirth Total -
Page 10
Fertility
The total births allocated to London for 1955 were: -
Page 12
There were 3,827 illegitimate live births (7.7 per cent, of the total live births). The figures in recent years are:
Year Illegitimate live births Illegitimate live births as a percentage of total live births London A.C. England and Wales -
Page 13
The leading causes of death in London in 1955 were as follows:
Deaths Rate per 1,000 population -
Page 14
Rates for specified age groups since 1948 are shown below : London A.C.: Cancer Mortality Rates per 1,000 living
Age and Sex 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 15
Mortality (per 1,000) from cardiovascular, renal disease and bronchitis
-
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in the present century. At ages under 55, where treatment is more effective, the number of deaths in 1955 was 21 which compares as follows with figures for previous years:
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Page 17
The distribution of causes of death in the first four weeks of life in descending order of magnitude in 1954 and 1955 was as follows:
Cause No. of deaths Per cent, of total 1954 1955 1954 1955 -
Page 18
A consideration of these two groups together allows for a better assessment of the problems of causation common to both. Comparative rates for perinatal mortality per 1,000 total births are given below for London and England and Wales.
Year(s) London England and Wales -
Page 18
A summary of maternal mortality statistics is given below. Comparative figures for England and Wales in recent years are shown in Table 8 (page 185).
Year Live births and stillbirths Deaths in pregnancy or child-birth excluding abortion Post-abortion deaths No. Rate No. Rate -
Page 19
Cause of death Post-abortion Other pregnancy and child birth Total -
Page 22
Although the number of deaths from influenza in 1955 (164) was nearly double the abnormally low figure of 83 registered in 1954, mortality from the disease was lighter than average, as will be seen from the following table giving the number of deaths from influenza in recent years.
Influenza Influenza Year deaths Year deaths -
Page 23
The ratio ot notifications to deaths at various ages was as follows:
Age Deaths Notifications Deaths as percentage of notifications -
Page 24
The number of notifications in the three main age groups was as follows Notifications by age
Year 0-4 5-14 15+ Total -
Page 24
The variations in the proportion of notifications falling in the 0-4 age group in recent years are seen in the following table:
Year 0-4 5-14 15+ Total -
Page 25
The following Table shows the distribution of heart disease deaths of persons under 45 years, according to age, in recent years:
Deaths from heart disease under 45 years Rate per 1,000 living Year 0-4 5-14 15-44 Total (0-44) -
Page 36
Table T.l— Tuberculosis—Statutory notifications and deaths—Administrative County of London, 1921-55 (a)
Year(s) Pulmonary tuberculosis Non-pulmonary tuberculosis Statutory notifications Deaths Statutory notifications Deaths No. Annual rate per 1,000 living No. Annual rate per 1,000 living No. Annual rate per 1,000 living No. Annual rate per 1,000 living -
Page 37
T able T.2— Pulmonary Tuberculosis—Statutory notifications and deaths by age and sex— Administrative County of London, 1946-55 Rates per 1,000 living (i) Notifications
Sex Age 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate -
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(ii) Deaths
Sex Age 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate -
Page 38
T able T.3— Non-pulmonary tuberculosis—Statutory notifications and deaths by age and sex— Administrative County of London, 1946-55 Rates per 1,000 living (i) Notifications
Sex Age 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate -
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(ii) Deaths
Sex Age 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate -
Page 39
T able T.4— Tuberculosis—Statutory notifications by age groups— Administrative County of London, 1955
Form of tuberculosis notified Sex Number of notifications of new cases of tuberculosis by age Total all ages 0- 1- 5- 10- 15- 20- 25- 35- 45- 55- 65+ -
Page 39
T able T.5— Statutory notification of non-pulmonary tuberculosis— Distribution according to site and age, 1955
Site of tuberculous lesion Numbers of notifications of new cases of non-pulmonary tuberculosis by age Total all ages 0-4 5-14 15-24 25+ -
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T able T.6— Patients on the registers*—Administrative County of London, 1946-55
1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 40
T able T.7— Condition of new cases and their contacts
Men Women Children Total -
Page 40
Table T.8— Summary of investigations into tuberculosis ' incidents ' at Council establishments in 1955
Establishment Notified case Children Adults Tuberculin tested Positive reaction X-rayed Abnormal X-rayed Abnormal -
Page 41
T able T.9— Tuberculosis notifications and mass radiography details, 1955, by occupations
Mass Radiography—1955 Registrar-Generals Short Classification of Employment Population mid 1951 Tuberculosis Notifications Number examined Cases of tuberculosis found Males Females Males Females Males Females Males Females Number Rate* per 1,000 Number Rate* per 1,000 Number Rate* per 1,000 Number Rate* per 1,000 Number Rate † per 1,000 Number Rate † per 1,000 -
Page 42
Table T.10— Mass radiography findings in London residents
Age Sex Number examined Active Tuberculosis confirmed in Case rate per 1,000 examined Positive sputum found in Infective case rate per cent -
Page 43
T able T.11— Summary of services provided for tuberculous patients, 1952-55
1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 44
T able T.12— Principal tuberculosis statistics—Metropolitan Boroughs and the Administrative County of London, 1955
Metropolitan Boroughs Estimated home population '955 New notifications New notifications per 1,ooo population Deaths ftom tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths per l,ooo population Pulmonary tuberculosis deaths per 1,000population aged 15 and over Number of tuberculosis cases on clinic registers at 31.12.55 Cases on register per 1,000population Mass X-ray findings Pulmonary Tuberculosis of. Meninges and C.N.S. Other non-pulmonary tuberculosis Total Pulmonary Non-pulmonary tuberculosis Total deaths Number of pulmonary cases found per 1,000 adults examined Total Percentage sputum positive during 1955 -
Page 45
Table T.13— Tuberculosis—Contact examinations at Chest Clinics
Chest clinics Estimated population served Total new cases of tuberculosis (all forms) New contacts seen New contacts not determined New contacts diagnosed New contacts found tuberculous Per cent, new contacts found tuberculous among diagnosed contacts Calculated rate of new contacts seen per 100 new cases -
Page 46
T able T.14— Tuberculosis—Annual chest X-ray examination of mental defectives at senior occupation centres, 1955
Division Occupation centre E.B.—elder boys E.G.—elder girls Average roll at time of examination Date of examination No. X-rayed No. of cases of T.B. discovered Under 15 Over 15 -
Page 46
T able T.15— B.C.G. vaccination under L.C.C. schemes in 1955
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Page 47
Table T.16— B.C.G. vaccination of school children in 1955— Divisional figures
Division No. of 13 years' old school children Total No. of consents Alleged contacts of known cases Consents included in (2) No. of children tested and read by B.C.G. units Children not dealt with because of refusal of consent or absence Positive reactors (among (4)) No. of negative reactors vaccinated by B.C.G. units No. Per cent. of (0 No. Per cent. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) -
Page 49
During 1955 samples of milk taken for this purpose numbered 201 and the results of the biological examinations were as follows:
Designation Samples examined Results of examination T.B. bacillus isolated T.B. bacillus NOT isolated Test not completed1 Percentage positive of completed tests -
Page 51
Table (i) Number of new registrations during the year with percentage recommended to obtain treatment
Age Principal cause of defective vision Total Cataract Glaucoma Retrolental fibroplasia Other conditions -
Page 51
Table (ii) Re-examination of persons recommended to obtain treatment
Principal cause of defective vision Total Cataract Glaucoma Retrolental fibroplasia Other conditions -
Page 52
Registration of nursing homes At the end of the year there were 41 nursing homes on the register, one fewer than in 1954. In the 41 homes there were 828 beds distributed as follows :
Number of beds in home Number of homes Patients accommodated Maternity† Others* Total -
Page 55
The following sections of this report deal in greater detail with many aspects of the work done and the following table summarises the number of samples examined.
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Page 63
G rajton Hall, Lamberivell —Adaptations or existing building to provide a new Scheme occupation centre. It was decided not to proceed with this project owing to the high abandoned cost of acquisition and maintenance of the building.
Division Premises Service Work involved -
Page 64
Continued from previous page...
Division Premises Service Work involved -
Page 64
The programme submitted to the Minister of Health for the year 1956-57 included the following projects:
Division Premises Work involved -
Page 64
Arrangements were also made for the undermentioned schemes, which no longer require individual approval by the Minister, to be dealt with in the year 1956-57 :
Premises Work involved -
Page 64
The following projects requiring the approval of the Minister were proposed for inclusion in the building programme for the year 1957-58 :
Division Premises Work involved -
Page 67
Acquisitions and leases Opportunities were taken whenever possible to acquire suitable properties and sites for health service purposes or to secure long-term leasehold tenancies. The following leasehold tenancies and acquisition were completed during the year :
Division Property Interest obtained Service -
Page 67
The following tables give comparative statistics.
Year Ante-natal Clinics at end of year (including combined ante-natal and post-natal) Sessions per month Attendances Percentage of pregnant women making at least one attendance at ante-natal clinic First Total -
Page 68
Continued from previous page...
Year Post-natal Clinics at end of year Sessions per month Attendances First Total At post-natal clinics At combined ante- and post-natal clinics At post-natal clinics At combined ante- and post-natal clinics -
Page 69
The residential unit at the Violet Melchett infant welfare centre, a voluntary organisation providing services on behalf of the Council under Section 22 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, continued to provide treatment for mothers and babies experiencing breast feeding difficulties and for babies with dietetic upsets. Comparative figures are :
Mothers Accompanied infants Unaccompanied infants -
Page 69
Cards were sent to parents on their children's birthday anniversaries to invite them to toddlers' sessions where they might discuss the care of their children and obtain a full medical examination.
Year Clinics at end of year (including toddlers') Sessions per month Attendances Percentage of infants attending a centre at least once in the first year of life Under 1 year Over 1 year Special toddlers First Total First Total -
Page 70
The following table brings out the trend in consumption in London :
Welfare food Average weekly consumption— Six months ended Average weekly consumption— Six months ended Percentage increase or decrease in consumption 1.1.55 2.7.55 (+or -) -
Page 73
566 (642) children were referred by the Children's Officer for opinion as to their suitability on medical grounds for adoption and boarding-out. 2 (3) children were considered unfit and the remainder were grouped as follows :
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Page 73
The number of maintained and grant-aided day nurseries and the total number ot places provided at 31st December, 1955, and a comparison with the previous year are given in the following tables :
Number of day nurseries at 31st December. Maintained Grant-aided Total -
Page 74
The following table shows the numbers of minders and children cared for at 31.12.55
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Page 74
The number of private day nurseries registered under the Nurseries and Child-Minders Regulation Act, 1948, and the number of places provided at 31.12.55 were :
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Page 76
Total number of domiciliary confinements attended by London County Council, Hospital and Nursing Association midwives —1953-1955
Year Number of confinements Number of confinements Grand Total Doctor not booked Doctor booked L.C.C. District Nursing Association Hospital L.C.C. District Nursing Association Hospital -
Page 78
The lecture programme was :
Lecturer Subject -
Page 78
Notifications of intention to practise were received as follows :
1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 79
The annual lecture-demonstration course was attended by 45 midwives from London, Middlesex and Surrey who visited three maternity hospitals in London. The programme in October, 1955, was :
Hospital Subject and lecturer -
Page 79
Fees paid under the Midwives Act to medical practitioners called in by midwives in emergency were as follows :
1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 79
HEALTH VISITING AND NURSING SERVICES the average strength of health visitors available during the year for health visiting duties apart from the tuberculosis and school health services was the equivalent of 375 full-time units. In addition to their clinic and other duties these health visitors made 816,483 home visits.
Home visits 1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 80
The total number or visits paid was 1,953,182 compared with l,873,88l in 1954, giving an average of 13 visits daily for each nurse (13 in 1954). The average case load of a nurse at any one time was 24 (23 in 1954). Treatments completed totalled 64,256 (61,352 in 1954), and there were 12,535 patients being nursed at the end of the year (11,792 in 1954). The completed treatments related to the following conditions :
Number Percentage of total -
Page 80
These patients were referred to the nursing associations by :
Number Percentage of total -
Page 83
The following figures illustrate the extent or the increase over the last three years :
1953 1954 1955 -
Page 83
The consistent pattern of cases assisted is shown by the percentage figures for the last three years :
1953 Per cent. 1954 Per cent. 1955 Per cent. -
Page 84
The total number of children immunised against diphtheria for the first time in 1955 was 34,529. The figures for the last seven years are shown below :
(All ages) 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 85
The following figures show the number of children immunised against whooping cough in the past four years, including those receiving the combined antigen which protected them against both diphtheria and whooping cough.
1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 85
Vaccination Facilities provided for the vaccination of infants against smallpox are similar to those for diphtheria immunisation. The percentage of vaccinations of children under one year of age compared with the annual number of live births has increased steadily over the past seven years :
Number vaccinated Percentage of annual live births -
Page 85
Re-vaccination of older children is undertaken under the Council s scheme. The numbers of school children re-vaccinated during the past three years are shown below :
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Page 89
Vehicle strength at the end of 1955 was as follows:
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Page 90
Analysis of Accident Section work
(a) Numbers of patients : 1954 1955 -
Page 91
Work performed by the directly provided service
Year Accident Section General Section Total Patients Non-patient carrying journeys Total journeys (calls) Mileage Patients Journeys Mileage Patients Journeys Mileage -
Page 91
Work performed by the agency and supplementary services
Year Ambulance Dept.— Joint Committee Order of St. John & British Red Cross Society Hospital Car Service West Ham C.B.C. Total Patients Mileage Patients Mileage Patients Mileage Patients Mileage -
Page 91
Work performed by both sections of the directly provided service and by the agency and supplementary services
Year Total Emergency Work Total General Section Work Grand Total Patients Mileage Patients Mileage Patients Mileage -
Page 92
The following are particulars of new cases and attendances :
Year New cases Attendances Staff at the end of the year (in terms of whole units) -
Page 92
Recuperative holidays With the exception of 1954, when there was an increase in recommendations for schoolchildren and a slight increase in respect of expectant and nursing mothers, the demand for recuperative holidays has declined since 1950. The admission figures for 1955 as compared with the previous three years were : Admissions to recuperative holiday homes
Year Unaccompanied children Accompanied children Expectant and nursing mothers Other adults Total Under 5 years School children -
Page 93
The table below gives the number ot patients completing treatment and or detaulters as shown by analysis of the returns from the clinics :
Syphilis Gonorrhoea Male Female Male Female -
Page 95
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES Lunacy and Mental Treatment Acts during the year, 8,346 cases of persons‡ alleged to be suffering from mental illnes: were referred to the mental welfare officers, compared with 8,690 in 1954. The following table shows how they were dealt with :
1955 1954 Male Female Total -
Page 95
The ultimate disposal or the patients admitted to observation wards (including 129 patients in wards on 1st January, 1955) is shown below :
1955 1954 Male Female Total -
Page 96
Four psychiatric social workers were employed full-time to interview and advise persons suffering from psychiatric illness needing help with their personal problems. During the year 268 new cases were referred from the following sources :
1955 1954 -
Page 97
Mental Deficiency Acts The following table shows the sources from which cases were brought to notice under Statistics the Mental Deficiency Acts and the action taken thereon :
Sourccs of information 1952 1953 1954 1955 Totals from 1.4.14 to 31.12.55 -
Page 97
The position at 31st December, 1955, with regard to the cases referred to in the last column of the preceding table is shown below, together with the position on the same date in the three preceding years :
1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 97
* This figure includes cases on licence who were visited at regular intervals by officers of the Council on behalf of the regional hospital boards as follows : 1952, 259; 1953, 236 ; 1954, 247 ; 1955, 212.
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Page 98
The following is a summary of the cases dealt with and comparable figures for the three preceding years:
1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 101
The accommodation available in all centres at 31st December, 1955, was as follows:
Centres Accommodation Centres Accommodation -
Page 104
Details of the medical inspections carried out in 1955, with comparable figures for the two previous years, are as follows :
1953 1954 1955 -
Page 104
The percentages of these children who were referred for treatment (other than for infestation or teeth) compared with the preceding years were : Pupils referred for treatment
Age group and sex 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 105
The following table shows the percentages of the principal defects (other than infestation, teeth or errors of refraction) found in pupils of all age groups inspected at general medical inspections and referred for treatment or observation, with comparable figures for 1953 and 1954.
1953 1954 1955 -
Page 105
Pupils receiving school meals, extra milk or vitamin capsules on the recommendation of the school doctor are re-inspected each term. During 1955 the number of such re-inspections was 68,051. The classification of general condition recorded at these ' nutrition' re-inspections, with comparable figures for previous years, was as follows:
Good Fair Poor -
Page 106
The school meals service aims at concentrating the maximum food value into the quantity of food a child is willing to eat, and the following standards have been set:
Age group Minimum number of calories -
Page 106
The following table gives the results of such vision tests carried out during 1955:
Visal acuity (with glasses, if worn) Percentage referred for treatment 6/6 % 6/9 % 6/12 or worse % % wearing glasses Total Already wearing glasses Not wearing glasses -
Page 107
The following table gives the results of the personal hygiene inspections carried out during 1955:
Total Number of Inspections Pupils found to be verminous* Number Percentage -
Page 107
The following table shows the results of the operation of this 'cleansing scheme' during 1955:
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Page 108
the following table, and may be attributed to improved social standards, greater concern on the part of parents, and the effectiveness of the cleansing scheme.
Year No. of pupils on school rolls No. of nurses' hygiene inspections No. of occasions on which pupils were found to be 'verminous' Column (4) as a percentage of column (3) No. of individual children comprising column (4) Percentage of the school population of the individual children in col. (6) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) -
Page 108
The following table gives the main contra-indications disclosed at the medical inspections of the 21,722 school leavers during 1955:
Contra-indications Boys Girls -
Page 110
tde records of tde audiometric tests in 1955 were as follows:
Age 7+ (7 Divs.) Age 5+ (2 Divs./) -
Page 112
At the end of the year there were 112 school treatment centres, 91 run directly by the Council and 21 by voluntary committees. The following table shows the number of clinics available in school treatment centres for the treatment of each defect (comparable figures for 1954 are shown in brackets) : Type of clinic
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Page 113
The report of the children s care organisers working in the out-patient department of Guy's Hospital, illustrates the wide scope of this liaison between the school health service and the hospitals. The following is a short statistical summary of the report:
Hospital department New cases Total attendances Discharged— treatment complete -
Page 114
Cases of infectious illness involving exclusion or absence reported from schools in 1955 and preceding years
Year Chicken-pox Diphtheria German measles Impetigo Measles Mumps Ophthalmia and Conjunctivitis Poliomyelitis Ringworm Scabies Scarlet fever Whooping cough -
Page 115
Handicapped pupils At the end of the year special educational treatment was being provided for more than 10,500 pupils, and the following table shows the main categories of handicap and numbers of pupils receiving full-time special educational treatment:
Day special schools Boarding special schools Hospitals Non-Council boarding schools, hostels, foster-homes -
Page 115
During the year the numbers of new formal ascertainments were as follows:
Day Boarding -
Page 115
The following table gives details of the numbers of children found to be no longer in need of special educational treatment during 1955:
Day Boarding -
Page 116
after leaving school. Details of the numbers reported under this section are given below:
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Page 117
Juvenile rheumatism Following a slight but steady decline during the past three years, there has this year been an abrupt fall in the number of cases of juvenile rheumatism referred for admission to Queen Mary's Hospital for Children, Carshalton.
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Page 118
Percentage of children with cardiac involvement on admission during recent years has been:
1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 118
The condition on admission of the children admitted during 1955 was as follows:
Boys Girls -
Page 119
The following table gives details of the work carried out during the year at the four units:
Brixton Battersea Earls Court Woodberry Down Total -
Page 121
Table I
Total Establishment Staff Equivalent in Full-time Staff Sessions Total Sessions Total Number employed Fulltime Part-time School Service MCW Service School Service MCW Service School Service MCW Service Fulltime Part-time Fulltime Part-time -
Page 122
In Table II the percentage of schoolchildren found to require treatment has, for the second successive year risen quite sharply and is shown as 11 per cent, higher than two years ago. Table II
1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 122
Total extractions, however, have fallen while fillings have increased and a gratifying figure is shown in Table III; the continued improvement in the ratio of permanent teeth restored to those extracted. T able III Ratio of permanent teeth restored to permanent teeth extracted in schoolchildren
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Page 124
Table IV
1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 124
Table V Attendances and treatments of maternity and child welfare patients
1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 130
the total capital expenditure on the health services of the Council in the year ended 31st March, 1955, was £84,931, details of which are as follows:
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Page 130
The gross cost of the various services in 1954-55—including central administrative charges but excluding debt charges—and the contributions recovered from recipients of the services were :
Service Cost Amount recovered in charges -
Page 131
The net cost of the services after allowing for Government grant, expressed in terms of rate in the £ was 11-22d., divided as follows:
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Page 143
The service has grown as follows :
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Page 143
Educational work in the welfare centres has been still further fostered as the following figures show :
Sessions Attendances -
Page 154
* The general movements resulting from this change and also to a lesser extent the changes in the same year resulting from the revision of the International List of Causes of Death, are estimated to be :
Cause Approximate change as a percentage of those formerly assigned to this cause † Cause Approximate change as a percentage of those formerly assigned to this cause † -
Page 166
T able I — Populations of Boroughs
Borough Populations (thousands) Intercensus Variations (per cent.) Percentage of Males in Population 1901 1911 1921 1931 1951 1901-11 1911-21 1921-31 1931-51 1901 1911 1921 1931 1951 -
Page 167
Table II– Density indices of Boroughs
Borough Percentage of the population living more than 2 to a room Persons per room 1910* 1911 1921 1931 1951 1911** 1921 1931 1951 -
Page 168
Table III—– Number offoreign-born persons enumerated at each census and their percentage of total population in each area
Borough 1901 1911 1921 1931 1951 No. Per cent. No. Per cent. No. Per cent. No. Per cent. No. Per cent. -
Page 169
Table IIIA— Foreign.born residents by nationality
Country of origin Percentage of all Foreign.born in London 1901 1911 1921 1931 1951 -
Page 169
Table IV— Standardized Deatd-rates
Borough 1911-13 1920-22 1930-32 1950-52 -
Page 170
Table V— Administrative County of London death-rates per 1,000
Age (yrs) 1911-13 1950-52 Males Females Males Females -
Page 170
T able VI— Death-rates for certain causes for ages 45 and over
Cause of death Cancer Heart Diseases Bronchitis -
Page 170
Since the overcrowding indices had been so drastically reduced by 1951 it seems of interest to see whether, as in the past, the indices of living conditions are correlated with the death rate. Excluding the City of London from the calculations, the correlation coefficients between the socio-economic conditions of the boroughs and their standardized deaths rates are as follows :
Correlations 1911-13 r 1920-22 r 1930-32 r 1950-52 r -
Page 171
T able VII— Legitimate births per 1,000 married women aged 15-44
Borough 1911-13 1920-22 1930-32 1950-52 -
Page 172
of Table VII with Tables II and III suggests that the birth rate, like the death rate, is correlated with the density indices. The correlations are :
Correlations 1911-13 r 1920-22 r 1930-32 r 1950-52 r -
Page 173
T able VIII— Infant mortality
Borough 1911-13 1920-22 1930-32 1950-52 -
Page 174
with social indices exhibited by the standardized death rates and the legitimate birth rates are not apparent in these infant mortality rates. The correlations are :
Correlations 1911.13 r 1920.22 r 1930.32 r 1950.52 r -
Page 174
The general death rate, crude or standardized, has been frequently used as a broad measure of the health of the people, and recently the birth rate has given an indirect measure of the conditions of living since it has shown a steep gradation with social class. The correlations of infant mortality with these rates for the last four census periods are:
Correlations 1911-13 t 1920-22 r 1930-32 r 1950-52 r -
Page 175
T able IX— Deaths in the first year of life
Age (mths) 1911-13 1920-22 1930-32 1950-52 -
Page 175
The very different structure of infant mortality in 1950-52 suggested that it would be of interest to examine the relation of infant mortality and socio-economic indices by ages:
Age (months) Years Proportion of Population in Social Classes IV and V r Persons per room r Percentage living more than two to a room r -
Page 176
The relationship between the social indices and infant mortality may rest partly on the population of the boroughs. Most boroughs conform to the official description of a large town having a population of over 50,000; they were divided arbitrarily into three groups* and the correlations found between the percentage living more than two to a room and infant mortality and neonatal mortality:
Population No. of Boroughs Percentage living more than two to a room (1951) correlated with Neonatal Mortality Infant Mortality r P r P -
Page 176
It is of some interest to see whether the relationship between the various indices of socio-economic status have changed during the period :
Correlations 1920-22 r 1930-32 r 1950-52 r -
Page 177
The result or this policy is that the population or London was one million less in 1951 than in 1931 (Table I), a dechne of 23-9 per cent, at all ages, and of 30-9 per cent, at ages 0-15 years. The magnitude of the change is shown by the densities for the whole :
Overcrowding Index 1911 1921 1931 1951 -
Page 179
Table 1— Population (b)—Administrative County of London, 1901-55
Year Mid-year (c) estimate of population by the Registrar-General by age groups Average age (years) Total 0-4 5-14 15-24 25-44 45-64 65+ -
Page 180
Table 2— Live births and still-births—Administrative County of London, 1931-55
Year(s) Live births Still-births No. Rate per 1,000 population* No. Rate per 1,000 total births (live and still) -
Page 181
Table 3— Vital statistics—Metropolitan Boroughs ana the Administrative County of Lonaon,1995 (a)
Metropolitan Boroughs Estimated home population mid 1955 Live birth rate. Death-rates Notifications of infectious disease Deaths {all causes) Infant mentality (pet l,ooo live births) Heart disease Other circulatory Cerebral vascular lesions Peptic ulcer Pulmonary tuberculosis Pneumonia Other respiratory diseases (inc. Bronchitis) Cancer Vio-Itnce Scarlet fever Dysentery Poliomyelitis Food Poisoning Acute pneumonia Measles Whooping cough Tuberculosis Paralytic Son Paralytic Pulmonary Non-pulmonary -
Page 183
Table 5— Deaths by cause—Administrative County of London, 1955
Cause Sex 0— 1 — 5— 15— 25— 45— 65— 75+ Total 1955 1954 -
Page 184
Table 5 ( contd.)—Deaths by cause—Administrative County of London, 1955
Cause Sex 0— 1 — 5— 15— 25— 45— 65— 75+ Total 1955 1954 -
Page 184
Table 6— Infant mortality—Administrative County of London, 1955
Cause of death Age at death Total Rates per 1,000 live births Under 1 day 1 to 7 days 1 to 4 wks. 4 wks. to 7 yr. No. Male Female Total Male Female -
Page 185
Table 7— Infant mortality by cause—Administrative County of London, 1936-1955 (Rates per 1,000 live births)
Cause of death 1936 to 1940 1941 to 1945 1946 to 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 185
Table 8— Maternal mortality (excluding abortion)—Administrative County of London and England and Wales, 1945.55 (Rates per 1,000 total births)
1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 -
Page 186
Table 9— Notifiable infectious diseases — Annual number of notifications and numbers per 1,000 of population—Administrative County of London, 1934.1955
Year Antdrax Continued fever Diphtderia Dysentery Acute Encephalitis Enteric fever Erysipelas Malaria Measles Meningococcal infection Ophtdalmia neonatorum Pneumonia Poliomyelitis Puerperal pyrexia Scabies Scarlet fever Smallpox Typhus Whooping Cough Food poisoning Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate Cases Rate -
Page 187
Table 10— Notification of ccrtain infectious diseases—distribution by age and date of notification—Administrative County of London, 52 weeks commenting week ended 8th January, 1955
Four. weekly periods 1955 Dysentery Measles Meningococcal infection Pneumonia Poliomyelitis Scarlet fever Whooping cough Paralytic Non.paralytic or not stared Ages Ages Ages Ages Ages Ages Ages Ages 0—4 5—14 15+ Total 0—4 5—14 15+ Total 0—4 5—74 15+ Total 0—4 5—14 75+ Total 0—4 5—14 75+ Total 0—4 5—74 75+ Total 0—4 5—74 15+ Total 0—4 5—14 15+ Total -
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T able 11— Statistics of the administrative work carried out by the Metropolitan Borough Councils in 1955.
Borough DWELLINGS CLEARANCE AREAS DWELLING HOUSES SMOKE NUISANCES CLEANSU} AND DISINFECTION LICENSED OR REGISTERED PREMISES Restaurants, eating houses and canteens SANITARY OFFICERS Erected by the Borough Council Erected by other persons Total number in the Borough Inspections Repaired as a result of informal action Defects remedied after service of formal notice Housing Act 1936 Local Govt. (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1953 Sec. 10 (1) Water supply provided to tenement houses Complaints Observations Intimation notices served Nuisance notices served Adults cleansed Children cleansed Premises disinfected Premises disinfested Establishment Employed at end of year Assistants employed at end of vear Unfit Houses Other Houses On complaint On notification of illness House-to-house Other reasons Section 11 Section 12 Licensed slaughterhouses Other offensive trades Dairies and milk shops Ice cream premises Common Lodging Houses Public Health (London) Act Housing Act Demolished Closed by undertaking Rooms closed Undertakings accepted At home At a cleansing station Demolished Persons displaced Demolished Persons displaced Underground rooms Other rooms Underground rooms Other rooms Closing Orders made By owners By local authority By owners By local authority Number Persons displaced Number Persons displaced Number Persons displaced Number Persons displaced Number Persons displaced Number Persons displaced Number Persons displaced Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total -
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Table 12— Treatment of venereal disease at London clinics
Year New cases Total attendances Syphilis s. Chancre Gonorrhoea Total venereal cases Total non-venereal cases M. F. M. F. M. F. M. F. M. F. M. F. -
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Table 13— Weather during 1955 (as recorded at Kew Observatory)
Temperature Rainfall Sunshine Month Mean (a) °F Difference from Average (b) °F Total ins. Difference from Average (b) ins. Total hrs. Difference from Average (c) hrs. -
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The following statement shows the number of staff employed in the Public Health Department in December, 1955 (part-time staff being expressed as whole-time equivalents).
Type of staff Location Staff employed at other establishments (a) Total Head office staff Divisional staff