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 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Standardised mortality from lung cancer was highest among the boroughs in Bethnal
Green, Finsbury, Shoreditch, Islington and St. Pancras in the north and Southwark and
Bermondsey in the south. It was also highly correlated with the percentage in social
classes IV and V and the percentage born in London, but not with atmospheric pollution
as typified by solid deposit or sulphate ion—the limitations of the two last indices are
such as not to preclude such an association.
Infant mortality
Table (x)—Infant mortality—1958
| 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 1 yr. | No. | Male | Female | Total | Male | Female | |||
| Whooping cough | Leg. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Illeg. | — | — | — | |||||||||
| Tuberculosis | Leg. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Illeg. | — | — | — | |||||||||
| Measles | Leg. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Illeg. | — | — | — | |||||||||
| Convulsions | Leg. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Illeg. | — | — | — | |||||||||
| Bronchitis and pneumonia | Leg. | 4 | 25 | 27 | 127 | 187 | 107 | 80 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.03 | |
| Illeg. | _ | 3 | 1 | |||||||||
| Gastro enteritis and diarrhoea | Leg. | 1 | — | 1 | 15 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 0.31 | 0.29 | 0.34 | |
| Illeg. | — | — | — | |||||||||
| Congenital malformation | Leg. | 38 | 54 | 41 | 98 | 244 | 124 | 120 | 451 | 4.46 | 4.55 | |
| Illeg. | 4 | 6 | 3 | |||||||||
| Immaturity | Leg. | 122 | 77 | 8 | 7 | 254 | 145 | 109 | 4.69 | 5.22 | 413 | |
| Illeg. | 25 | 12 | 3 | |||||||||
| Injury at birth | Leg. | 67 | 40 | 2 | 1 | 123 | 71 | 52 | 2.27 | 2.56 | 1.97 | |
| Illeg. | 5 | 6 | 2 | |||||||||
| Post-natal asphyxia and atelectasis | Leg. | 124 | 61 | 5 | 2 | 221 | 139 | 82 | 4.08 | 5.00 | 3.11 | |
| Illeg. | 21 | 8 | — | |||||||||
| Haemolytic disease | Leg. | 17 | 6 | — | — | 24 | 12 | 12 | 0.44 | 0.43 | 0.45 | |
| Illeg. | 1 | _ | _ | |||||||||
| Accidental mechanical suffocation | Lee. | _ | — | _ | 6 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0.13 | 0.11 | 0.15 | |
| Illeg. | 1 | — | — | |||||||||
| Other causes | Leg. | 22 | 31 | 13 | 61 | 141 | 92 | 49 | 2.60 | 3.31 | 1.86 | |
| Illeg. | 8 | 4 | 2 | |||||||||
| All causes | Leg. | M. | 223 | 176 | 56 | 291 | 1,077 | 616 | 461 | 22.07 | 24.61 | 19.39 |
| F. | 772 | 118 | 41 | |||||||||
| Illeg. | M. | 38 | 21 | 10 | 26 | 141 | 85 | 56 | 26.39 | 30.94 | 21.57 | |
| F. | 27 | 18 | 1 | |||||||||
| Total, 1958 | 460 | 333 | 108 | 317 | 1,218 | 701 | 517 | 22.49 | 25.24 | 19.60 | ||
| Total, 1957 | 438 | 317 | 104 | 301 | 1,160 | 657 | 503 | 22.00 | 24.14 | 19.71 | ||
| Leg | M. | 221 | 160 | 40 | 161 | 1,011 | 582 | 429 | 21.04 | 23.44 | 18.48 | |
| F. | 158 | 111 | 53 | 107 | ||||||||
| Illeg | M. | 27 | 30 | 4 | 14 | 149 | 75 | 74 | 31.80 | 31.45 | 32.16 | |
| F. | 32 | 16 | 7 | 19 | ||||||||
The pattern of infant mortality remains much the same as in the previous year.
The increase in the total rate from 22.00 in 1957 to 22.49 in 1958 was largely accounted
for by an increase in mortality from bronchitis and pneumonia, congenital malformations
and immaturity, slightly offset by decreased mortality from injury at birth.
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