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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The ages of the 2184 persons whose mortality is recorded
during 1860, extended over 48,511 years of life. These years
when sub-divided, give a mean age of 22.21, and if worked
on the Registrar-General's form a mean life-time of 40.5.*
In London, and in all England, the mean age is 29 years,
and the duration of life about 37 and 41. With us the
Gentry outlived the Tradesmen by more than 24, and the
Artizans by 27 years.† Respectively they passed away as
seen in Table 5, at the ages of 48, 23, and 21. Of the adults
who died, the years of life were 53, or 7 below the term that
an Englishman on the average may expect to endure.
Passing on to the deaths at different times and commencing
with those at the earliest age, 287 occurred under three
months, 113 between three and six, and 220 between six
months and twelve. Under one year the deaths were to the
births as 620 to 4107, or 1 in each 6.6. Between the years
1 and 2 the infantile loss was 288; between 2 and 3, 135;
between 3 and 4, 80; and between 4 and 5 it was 44. By
adding these the total is 1167, or a loss of 53.4 on every 100
deaths. Throughout London the per centage below 5 years
rates above 40, in Liverpool (1860) at 43, in Leeds at 46,
and in Manchester at 47.
Taking the ratio to the living at the like age 75.9 per
1000 fell in 1860 in Bethnal Green. In the Healthy Districts
of England, there are found to die in that number 40.3;
while in England during 1847-56 they amounted to 68.2,
and in London during 1849-53 to 77.1. The employment
of many of the mothers in other than domestic work, with
certain endemic influences, and too often want of means,
account for much of the waste of infant life, and, by conse-
*"The mean age of those who die is less than the lifetime, because the Births
exceed the Deaths."
†Prohably for the reason that the 1st Class consists principally of those who
have retired at middle age, whose families for the most part are beyond the age
of 5.