Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]
This page requires JavaScript
belonged to other areas. In addition, 163-births belonging
to Stepney occurred outside the Borough, making a total of
1,919 births (985 male and 934 female) to Stepney residents.
3,344 births occurred in hospitals in the Borough, 1,4% of
this number being born to Stepney residents.
The live birth-rate is 19.46 per thousand of the population,
the highest since 1948. The rate when adjusted by the
comparability factor is 16.97, compared with the County of
London rate of 17.5 and the rate for England and Wales of
15.5.
Illegitimate live births numbered 156, representing 8.1
per cent of the total live births.
Still-births numbered 39, representing a rate of 19.91
per 1,000 total births.
Comparative vital statistics for the' year as between
England and Wales, the Administrative County of London and
Stepney are shown in Table 5 on page 55.
.
Marriages.
The number of marriages registered during the year was
868, 39 less than last year. The rate of marriages per 1,000
population is 17.6, and in 1952 it was 18.3.
Deaths.
The net number of deaths registered during the year was
1,187 (724 males and 463 females), as compared with 1,371 last
year. The Rate of 12.04 compares with 13.84 for 1952. The
principal causes of death were from heart disease, which
accounted for 23 per cent of the total deaths, cancer 20 per
cent, and diseases of the respiratory system 19 per cent.
63 per cent of the deaths were of persons over the age of 65,
and included one woman aged 100. See pages 51 and 52 for
summary.
In England and Wales to-day the expectation of life of a
boy at birth is 67.06 years and of a girl 72.35 years, compared
v/ith 48.53 and 52.38 years between the years 1901 and
1910.
Road Accidents.
Table 2. on page 52- summarises road accidents which
have occurred in the Borough over the past 5 years, for which
information I am indebted to Mr.A.S.Monckton, the Council's
Road Safety Organiser.
4