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
Woolwich 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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38
These measures have now been in force in Woolwich for
more than 10 years, and have no doubt had a large share in
the reduction of the measles death-rate.
WHOOPING-COUGH.
34. There were 10 deaths from whooping-cough, compared
with 15, 25, 6, and 28, in the four preceding years.
The death-rate was 0.08, compared with 0.20, 0.05, and
0.25, in the three preceding years, and 0.17 in the County
of London. 9 of the deaths were under two years of age.
The following table gives the deaths and death-rates per 1,000 population since the Borough was formed, compared with London.
| Woolwich. | London. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Rate. | Rate. | |
| No. | Rate. | Rate. | |
| 1901-05 (averages) | 34 | 0.28 | 0.35 |
| 1906-10 | 26 | 0.21 | 0.29 |
| 1911 | 6 | 0.05 | 0.23 |
| 1912 | 28 | 0.23 | 0.22 |
| 1913 | 10 | 0.08 | 0.17 |
Owing to the fact that whooping-cough almost entirely
falls on children under five, and that the diminution of birth-,
rate since 1900 has caused a smaller population under five
years, the rates calculated per 1,000 population show a larger
diminution of mortality than has actually occurred. While
the number of births has diminished 20 per cent. between
the Census of 1901 and that of 1911, the population under
five has only diminished 7 per cent. The rate should be
given per 1,000 population under five, but the figures for
each year are not available. In the following table the rates
have been calculated per 1,000 births; there is still shown