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
St Pancras 1895
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras]
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25
1895, after distribution of deaths occurring in public institutions, are set out
in a table lettered D, In this table it is clearly apparent that, whereas in
most of the northern, central, eastern, and southern districts of the Metropolis
the maximum annual mortality occurs in the maximum epidemic year 1893,
in none of the western districts did the mortality reach its maximum in that year,
in fact the maximum of the western districts occur s irregularly in various
years before and subsequent to 1893.
The deaths for the nine years in each of the Sanitary Districts in the
Registrar General's table mentioned above have been totalled, and the annual
means found and are set out in the accompanying table in this Report. The
Census of 1891 was enumerated at the beginning of the second quarter of that
year, and as the end of the second quarter of that year was also the middle
period of the years 1887 to 1895, it has been thought desirable for purposes
of accurate comparison to take the Census population as the basis for calculating
the death-rates of the sanitary areas. Furthermore, as nearly the
whole of the deaths occur under 15 years of age the death-rates have also
been calculated upon the census number of population below that age in 1891,
so as to eliminate as far as possible from the death-rates the influence of
age distribution of population.
The results, taking the groups of districts, are as follows:—
| Groups of Sanitary Areas. | Enumerated Population, Census, 1891. | Deaths. | Mean Annual Death-rate per 1,000 of Population. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At all Ages. | Under 15 yrs. | Totals, 1887—1895. | Annual Mean, 1887—1895. | At all Ages. | Under 15yrs. | |
| London | 4,211,743 | 1,371,902 | 16,762 | 1862.3 | 0.44 | 1.36 |
| West Districts† | 728,418 | 204,219 | 2,693 | 299.2 | 0.41 | 1.46 |
| North ,, | 993,884 | 306,433 | 3,526 | 391.8 | 0.39 | 1.28 |
| Central†,, | 259,855 | 76,071 | 942 | 104.7 | 0.40 | 1.38 |
| East „ | 705,114 | 255,600 | 3,729 | 414.3 | 0.59 | 1.62 |
| South ,, | 1,524,472 | 529,579 | 5,872 | 652.4 | 0.43 | 1.23 |
It is evident that there is a considerable difference between the death-rate
column at all ages, and that under 15 years. In the former only the east
group is above the mean of London, and the order from maximum to
minimum mortality is east, south, west, central, north. In the latter, not
only is east group largely above the mean of London but also the west
considerably, and the central slightly, and the order from maximum to
minimum is east, west, central, north, south. The remarkable difference
between the results of the two columns in the case of the south group of
districts is particularly striking, "at all ages" its death-rate stands highest but
one, whereas under 15 years of age it stands lowest. It is probable that the
second column of death-rates is nearer the truth for comparative purposes.
† Note.—In reference to the population of the groups of sanitary districts. According to registration
districts, the population of the west group of registration districts at the census of 1891 was
740,735, and of the central 247,538, the difference of 12,317 at all ages (4614 under 15 years) between
these numbers and those of the groups of sanitary districts, is due to the fact that the Parish of
St. Anne's, Soho, is included in the sanitary area of St. James', Westminster, which is in the west
group, instead of that of the Strand, which is in the central group. But this does not affect the
figures of the table. There is also a population of 1,852 persons at all ages, and 305 under 15 years,
not included in any sanitary area, but belonging to certain inns of court and other liberties: this
population does not appear in the total in the table.