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
City of London 1914
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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13
In 1903 it was ascertained that in the week ending 19th July no less than
347,463 vehicles passed to and from the four City bridges, viz.:— London, Southwark,
Blackfriars and Tower, equivalent to upwards of 18,000,000 vehicles per annum.
BIRTHS.
During the year 1914, 4.50 births were registered in the City, 295 of which,
however, did not belong thereto. To the remaining 155 must be added 16 children
born to Citizens temporarily residing outside the City boundary.
The number of births, therefore, on which the rate should be calculated is 171.
The annual birth rate was 10.0 per 1,000 persons of all ages, compared with a
quinquennial mean rate of 10.7 per 1,000.
In the Metropolis the birth rate in 1914 was 24.3 per 1,000.
This decline in the birth rate has been in operation in this country since 1876,
and is common to nearly all European countries.
VACCINATION.
Of the 464 births notified to the Vaccination Officers during 1914, 150 had been
successfully vaccinated by the end of the year, 38 had died before the age for
vaccination, and in no case was a child reported as insusceptible. Vaccination was
postponed by medical certificate in 6 cases, 171 had removed into other districts, and
15 vaccinations were pending at the end of the year. There were 84 cases of
â– conscientious objection.
The Public Vaccinators performed 30 re-vaccinations during the year.
Vaccination Statistics in the City of London.
| Year. | Number of Births notified to Vaccination Officer. | Successfully Vaccinated. | Insusceptible. | Had Small-pox. | Died before Vaccination. | Vaccination Postponed. | Cases pending or removed at the end of the year. | Consci-entious Objections. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| per cent. | per cent. | per cent. | per cent. | per cent. | per cent. | per cent. | ||
| 1909 | 248 | 58.4 | 0.80 | Nil. | 9.6 | 5.4 | 16.5 | 8.8 |
| 1910 | 262 | 57.6 | 0.38 | 9.5 | 3.8 | 15.0 | 12.9 | |
| 1911 | 410 | 37.5 | 0.24 | 8.2 | 3.4 | 38.7 | 11.9 | |
| 1912 | 410 | 43.9 | Nil | 6.8 | 0.5 | 33.6 | 15.1 | |
| 1913 | 402 | 33.6 | 0.25 | 8.8 | 1.9 | 41.1 | 14.5 | |
| Average previous 5 years | 367 | 46.2 | 0.34 | 8.6 | 3.0 | 29.1 | 12.7 | |
| 1914 | 464 | 32.3 | Nil | 8.2 | 1.2 | 40.1 | 18.2 |
VACCINATION ACT, 1907.
It will be seen that the number of conscientious objectors is increasing.
This is doubtless due to the Vaccination Act of 1907, which is a direct encouragement
to persons not to take advantage of a means which it is known reduces the susceptibility
of their children to an attack of small-pox.
MORTALITY.
During the year under review, 856 deaths were registered in the District, including
750 persons dying in the City, but not belonging thereto. See Table, p. 19, for details.