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 1920
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]
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30
If one mate is consumptive, is the chance of the other becoming
similarly affected larger than would be expected under
ordinary circumstances? The figures are as follows:—
Pulmonary Tuberculosis :
| Husband. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not Phthisical. | Phthisical. | Total. | ||
| Wife | Not Phthisical | 1,060 | 92 | 1,152 |
| Phthisical | 58 | 10 | 68 | |
| (5.61) | ||||
| Total | 1,118 | 102 | 1,220 | |
| r = .21 + .021 (See Note). | ||||
| Eye Colour— | Husband. | |||
| Not Blue Eyed | . Blue Eyed. | Total. | ||
| Wife | Not Blue Eyed | 90 | 35 | 125 |
| Blue Eyed | 41 | 42 | 83 | |
| (30.8) | ||||
| Total | 131 | 77 | 208 | |
| r = .36 + .048. | ||||
Note.—A "correlation co-efficient" is a figure which at once
expresses any regular association that a series of figures possess
the (plus or minus) figure after it gives the variation either way
that may be expected as a matter of chance.
From the Registrar-General's report it is found that the total
number of married couples in 1911 (both living) in Barking was
5,741. The mean age at marriage was 29 years, the mean
expectancy of life at that age was 37.6, and that the mean duration
of married life must be 28. The population was under
observation from 1916 to 1920 (practically four years), and the
proportion from which the selection was made was 126-327 (dispensary
deaths to total deaths), hence total married population
under observation may be regarded as 1,220 for the duration of
married life.