Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green, Parish of St. Matthew ]
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proportions under the age of 5, 321 persons, or 120 per 10,000
died in the Hackney Road; 388, or 132 in the Green ; 289,
or 115 in the Church; and 266 persons, or 123 in each myriad,
in the Town. The number of the Births was, in SubDistrict
No. 1, Males 479, Females 483 ; in Sub-District 2,
Males 593, Females 521; in Sub-District 3, Males 471,
Females 396; and in Sub-District 4, Males, 461, Females
450. Their ratios of deaths to births were, 1 to T82, 1 to
1.32 ; 1 to 1.77 ; and 1 to 2.17: their mean ages at death*—
highest in the Green, next in the Church, then in the Town,
and lowest in Hackney Road; whilst, after the age of 20,
life was longest in the Town, next in the Green, then in the
Church, and shortest in Hackney Road. The Green SubDistrict
differs in two respects from the other 3—in its larger
death rate, and higher mean age at death. Both depend on
the mortality in its three Institutions, and on the great proportion
of adults therein. Table 8 is devoted to the Workhouse
deaths. By that you will perceive that 26 of the deaths—14
of which were males—occurred between the ages of 20—40,
or at the most useful and productive years of life. If—disregarding
all higher views—we look upon the death of each
such adult as the loss of a mere " productive machine, reared
to last a certain time and to return so much more than lie
costs," even in £ s. d. value alone, every such death is a
serious loss : for by the estimate of Mr. Maculloch, a fullgrown
workman arrived at maturity will have £300 worth of
capita] invested in him. If, therefore, he dies prematurely,
not only his productive labour is lost, but there comes the
Sub-Districts. Nos. of Deahs. Years of Life. Mean Ages At
Death.
Years. Months. Weeks. Days. Years.
Hackney Rad 528 9281 — 11 — 31 — 5 17.8
Green 851 23196 — 0 — 18— 1 27.5
Church 491 9711 — 1 — 22 — 4 19.77
Town 421 7443 — 3 — 41 — 2 17.67
Totals 2291 49634 — 7 — 1 — 5 21.66