London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Woolwich 1914
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
This page requires JavaScript
44
WHOOPING.COUGH.
34. There were 25 deaths from whooping.cough. The
death.rate was 0.19, compared with 0 05, 0 25, and 0 08,
in the three preceding years, and 0.20 in the County of
London. 22 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. | |
| 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 |
| 1914 | 25 | 0.19 | 0.20 |
Owing to the fact that whooping.cough mortality almost
entirely falls on children under five, and that the diminution
of birth.rate since 1900 has caused the population under five
years to be smaller, 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.
The population under five at the 1901 Census was 13,823
and at the 1911 Census, 12,861. Estimated on these populations
the death.rate in 1901.5 was 2.4 and in 1911.14
only 1.3 showing still a very marked reduction.
321 cases were notified by school teachers, compared with
377, 41, 439, and 265, in the four previous years. 103 were