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
Barking 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]
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That it is hardly correct to compare these rates without some correction is shown by the proportion of children under 14, as revealed by the school census, thus :—
| North. | South. | East. | West. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total population for year ending 1913 | 4.634 | 7.331 | 13.533 | 8,705 34403 |
| Number of children 14 years and under | 1,235 | 2,647 | 4,142 | 2,814 10,838 |
| Number of children per 1,000 | 267 | 361 | 306 | 323 |
The age distribution of the East and North Wards are seen
to be very different, a fact which must be remembered when we
desire to draw conclusions from the rates for birth, death, or any
particular disease.
The rates for the districts are materially the same as that for
the previous year.
Deaths.
It is obvious that if 10 people die out of 1,000 each year as
in 1912, that the average duration of life must be 100 years;
further, as the age at death varies, some dying within one year,
others should live to 200 or more. The deduction is obviously
absurd, and the reason will be seen to lie in the age distribution,
which is not that of a normal population, for it contains a large
excess of units of favourable ages (adults) who have immigrated
from other districts, or have accumulated owing to the great
reduction in the death-rate consequent on sanitary and other improvements
since the passing of the 1875 Act. I have been
unable to calculate the age death-rates for previous years, owing
to the rather clumsy way in which they have been classified, hence
it cannot be definitely stated to what extent the undoubted fall is
due—to alteration in age and sex distribution or a real improvement
in the life expectancy of the district. I am of the opinion