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
Bromley 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bromley]
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12
In the comparison of Death Rates it is important to
realise that the age grouping and sex distribution of the
population must be taken into consideration, for it naturally
follows that a population of the higher age groups must
have a higher Death Rate than a population of the middle
or younger age groups, unless of course epidemic disease
in severe form has occurred during the year. 1930 was
comparatively free of any such disease.
The causes of deaths are shown in Appendix III from which the main causes have been extracted as follows:—
| No. of deaths. | Rate per cent. of total deaths. | Rate per 1,000 population. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Respiratory Disease | 31 | 7.2 | 0.7 |
| Heart Disease | 104 | 24.2 | 2.4 |
| Cancer | 69 | 16.08 | 1.6 |
| Tuberculosis | 41 | 9.5 | 0.9 |
| Premature Births and Congenital Debility | 16 | 3.7 | 0.3 |
| Infectious Diseases | 5 | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Influenza | 3 | 0.7 | 0.07 |
On comparison with the figures of previous year (1929)
the fact emerges that increases have occurred in Cancer,
Tuberculosis and Premature Births, and reductions have
occurred in the remaining main causes, particularly Respiratory
Diseases and Influenza.
The main causes of deaths recorded during the past five years are:—
| 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | Total. | Percentage of all deaths. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respiratory Disease | 58 | 74 | 48 | 72 | 31 | 293 | 13.6 |
| Heart Disease | 76 | 60 | 85 | 109 | 104 | 434 | 20.2 |
| Cancer | 38 | 57 | 68 | 65 | 69 | 297 | 13.8 |
| Tuberculosis | 27 | 30 | 35 | 28 | 41 | 161 | 7.5 |
| Prematurity, etc. | 8 | 14 | 19 | 8 | 16 | 65 | 3.03 |
| Infectious Diseases | 4 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 33 | 1.07 |
| Influenza | 4 | 17 | 6 | 14 | 3 | 44 | 2.05 |
The high return of Heart Disease includes the majority
of deaths from old age, and is not to be taken as a primary
cause of death. Influenza plays an important part in the