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
Shoreditch 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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19
The number of deaths properly belonging to Shoreditch is accordingly
1,180, which figure gives a general death rate per 1,000 population of 12.3.
In connection with these deaths 70 inquests were held. The death rate in
England and Wales for 1932 was 12.0, and in London 12.3.
In the Table on page 3 are included corresponding figures for Shoreditch
during recent years.
The distribution of the deaths and the death rates in the different Wards are given below: —
| Ward. | Males. | Females. | Total. | Deaths per 1,000 population | Deaths of infants under 1 year per 1,000 births registered. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moorfields | 37 | 29 | 66 | 16.9 | 70.4 |
| Church | 115 | 101 | 216 | 13.3 | 110.1 |
| Hoxton | 116 | 99 | 215 | 13.7 | 115.7 |
| Wenlock | 97 | 79 | 176 | 11.3 | 53.5 |
| Whitmore | 88 | 94 | 182 | 12.5 | 72.4 |
| Kingsland | 65 | 44 | 109 | 11.5 | 61.8 |
| Haggerston | 70 | 46 | 116 | 11.9 | 66.6 |
| Acton | 66 | 34 | 100 | 9.4 | 56.9 |
| Totals | 654 | 526 | 1,180 | 12.3 | 80.0 |
Considering the deaths at all ages the chief causes are seen to be as
follows:—Heart disease, 241 (20.4 per cent); Cancer, 148 (12.5 per cent);
Tuberculosis, all forms, 101 (8.6 per cent); Pneumonia, all forms, 96 (8.1
per cent). The number of deaths due to accidents in connection with
vehicular traffic was 18. In the years 1921 to 1931, inclusive, the corresponding
figures were respectively 10, 12, 9, 15, 14, 16, 21, 15, 18, 21 and
22. The particulars regarding the deaths from cancer are contained in the
table on page 29.
It will be noted from the Table on page 22 that the chief causes of death
of children between the ages of one and two years were Measles and Pneumonia—these
two causes accounted for 43 out of a total of 58 deaths between
these ages.
Altogether 233 or 19.7 per cent of the total number of deaths of all ages
were of children under the age of 5 years.