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 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bromley]
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16
DEATHS.
Death Rate for 1946 is 10.8 per 1,000 population. The number
of deaths occurring were 298 males, 358 females, total 656.
Comparative death rates for the past ten years is as
follows:—
| Year | Bromley Rates (crude) | England & Wales Rates |
|---|---|---|
| 1937 | 10.3 | 12.4 |
| 1938 | 9.8 | 11.6 |
| 1939 | 10.0 | 12.1 |
| 1940 | 12.9 | 14.3 |
| 1941 | 15.1 | 12.9 |
| 1942 | 11.4 | 11.6 |
| 1943 | 11.7 | 12.1 |
| 1944 | 13.3 | 11.6 |
| 1945 | 12.5 | 11.4 |
| 1946 | 10.8 | 11.5 |
Main causes of deaths are shown in the following table which gives comparative rates per 1,000 population for the past five
years:—
| Rates per 1,000 population | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | |
| Respiratory disease | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Heart disease | 2.7 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 2.9 |
| Cancer | 2.2 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
| Tuberculosis | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Congenital causes, etc | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Infectious disease | 0.07 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.01 |
| Influenza | 0.01 | 0.2 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.1 |
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The Infant Mortality Rate for 1946 is 26.3 per 1,000 live
births.
The following details relate to infant deaths under one year
of age during 1946:—
Inward transfers of death—institutional 14
Local deaths—institutional 11
domiciliary 6
Died in the first week of life 28
Died between the first week and twelfth month 11
So much has been written about infant mortality in previous
reports that to discuss the question further would be merely
repetition. It is sufficient to stress that 1946 was a year when
infantile mortality reached the second lowest rate to be recorded
in Bromley; the record figure being 22.6 in 1940. It is
upon infantile mortality results that the Public Health
Service is judged. The Local Authority can well be pleased
that their efforts have been successful and justified, especially
at this time when government by the local people is regretfully
being passed to authorities other than the Town Council.