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
Marylebone 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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32
The corrected death-rate* per thousand for the year was 10.6.
In the previous year, the rate was 13.2 and the number of deaths 1,455. In
1925, when the last summary report was submitted, the deaths numbered 1,257,
and the corrected death-rate was 11.0.
The following short table shows the death-rates in the several registration sub-districts in 1930, and compares them with those of the years onward from 1925 :—
| 1925 | 1928 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Souls | 9.2 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 9.9 | 13.3 | 10. 2 |
| St. Mary | 12.5 | 13.6 | 14.2 | 12.0 | 13.8 | 11.5 |
| Christ Church | 12.9 | 13.6 | 12.6 | 13.4 | 15.8 | 11.8 |
| St. John | 12.5 | 14.3 | 119 | 128 | 13.8 | 12.1 |
| The Borough | 110 | 11.9 | 11.3 | 11.1 | 13.2 | 10.6 |
A further table giving the vital statistics of separate localities for 1930, and the ten preceding years, will be found amongst the Ministry of Health Tables on page 77.
| Sub-District. | Population estimated to middle of 1929. | Births. | Deaths. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | ||
| All Souls | 24,532 | 128 | 121 | 249 | 116 | 134 | 250 |
| St. Mary | 26,228 | 140 | 133 | 273 | 159 | 143 | 302 |
| Christ Church | 31,873 | 242 | 210 | 452 | 203 | 176 | 379 |
| St. John | 19,767 | 128 | 145 | 273 | 110 | 130 | 210 |
| The Borough | 102,400 | 638 | 609 | 1.247 | 588 | 583 | 1,171 |
The following table shows the number of deaths that took place amongst
infants under 1 year and adults of 65 years and upwards in each of the four
quarters of 1930. For purposes of comparison the table for 1925 is reproduced
from the report for that year. It is interesting to note that the figures relating
to both infants and the elderly have fallen definitely. The distribution of the
deaths is the same in each of the two years, the heaviest incidence in both old and
young falling in the first and last quarter.
1930.
| J anuary-March | April-June | July-Seplember | October-December | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infants under 1 year | 25 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 77 |
| Persons of 65 years and upwards | 159 | 116 | 122 | 130 | 526 |
*By a " corrected death rate " is meant one which has been treated in such a way, raised or
lowered in a certain ratio, as to be comparable with the death rates similarly treated of other
districts. That " correction " is necessary is due to the fact that differences in death rates in various
areas are not entirely dependent upon the sanitary conditions existing in these areas, but also on the
constitution (age and sex) of the population. A population consisting of aged persons would show more
deaths than one consisting entirely of young and vigorous adults; a population made up of a large
number of males and a small number of females has more deaths and a higher death rate than one
in which the females outnumber the males. The death rates of such populations are not comparable
the one with the other nor with those of populations differently constituted. To overcome this
difficulty the Registrar General issues a " factor for correction " for each district which represents
the number of times which the actual death rate of each must be raised in order to permit of its
examination side by side with the rates of other districts. The " factor for correction '' in the case of
St. Marylebone in 1930 is 0 944, and the corrected death rate is obtained by multiplying with this
figure the number of deaths per 1.000, calculated from the total deaths and the population estimated
to the middle of the year.