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
Edmonton 1898
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Edmonton]
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5
Infantile Mortality.
This, as in my previous Reports, I have estimated by taking the
total number of deaths of infants under 1 year of age, including deaths
of infants belonging to the district which took place without it, butexclusive
of those attributed to premature birth, and using as a basis
for the calculation the mean of the number of births registered during
1897 and 1898.
The figures for 1898 are, total infantile deaths 217, mean of
number of registered births 1108.
Tnfantile death rate 195.84 per 1000.
An appallingly high rate not hitherto attained during my experience
of the district.
Zymotic Death Rate.
The number of deaths from the principal Zymotic Diseases, inclusive of those of persons belonging to the district whose deaths took place outside it, is given in the following table:—
| Scarlet Fever | 2 |
| Diphtheria | 7 |
| Enteric Fever | 2 |
| Measles | 16 |
| Whooping Cough | 24 |
| Diarrhœa | 130 |
| Total | 181 |
This with the basis of calculation used in estimating the crude
death rate gives a Zymotic Death Rate of 5.05 per 1000.
A rate made unusually high by the large number of deaths from
Diarrhoea.
The following table shews the Death Rate, the Infantile Mortality Rate, and the Zymotic Death Rate per 1000 for eight consecutive years :—
| Death Rate. | Infantile Mortality. | Zymotic Death Rate. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1891 | 16.8 | 106.2 | 1.61 |
| 1892 | 19.9 | 160.1 | 4.0 |
| 1893 | 16.9 | 133.2 | 2.4 |
| 1894 | 15.6 | 132.2 | 3.06 |
| 1895 | 13.98 | 122.2 | 2.37 |
| 1896 | 15.6 | 153.6 | 3.8 |
| 1897 | 15.95 | 157.8 | 3.8 |
| 1898 | 16.8 | 195.8 | 5.05 |