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
Kensington 1881
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]
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The subjoined table shows the quarterly numbers of deaths of males and females registered in each of the registration sub. districts of Kensington:—
| KENSINGTON TOWN Sub.district. | BROMPTON Sub.district. | Grand Total, whole Parish. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | ||
| 1st Quarter | 279 | 287 | 566 | 86 | 68 | 154 | 720 |
| 2nd ,, | 268 | 282 | 550 | 64 | 80 | 144 | 694 |
| 3rd „ | 212 | 235 | 447 | 66 | 73 | 139 | 586 |
| 4th „ | 259 | 277 | 536 | 66 | 70 | 136 | 672 |
| 1,018 | 1,081 | 2,099 | 282 | 291 | 573 | 2,672 | |
The deaths in the first and fourth or colder quarters of the year
exceeded the deaths in the second and third or warmer quarters
by 12 only: in the previous year the excess was 240. This
remarkable difference, in favour of 1881, was due in part to the
fact that the climatic conditions were on the whole more favourable
to the prolongation of life in the aged, and to the preservation of
life in the young: the deaths from chest diseases being below
the average, owing to the mildness of the winter, freedom from
fogs, &c.
The subjoined table shows the death rate in 13 periods of four weeks, corresponding with my monthly reports, and the mean temperature of the air:—
| DATE OF REPORT. | Death.rate, per 1,000 living. | Decennial Average | Mean temPerature of the air, 1881. | Decennial Average | Temperature above or below Average. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For four weeks to Jan. 29, 1881 | 18.5 | 21.0 | 306 | 38.7 | — 8.1 |
| „ „ ,, ,, Feb, 26, „ | 18.8 | 21.3 | 38.5 | 397 | — 1.2 |
| ,, ,, „ ,, Mar. 26, „ | 17.2 | 20.6 | 42.9 | 41.9 | + l.0 |
| ,, ,, ,, „ April 23, ,, | 18.0 | 21.2 | 43.5 | 45.7 | — 2.2 |
| „ „ „ „ May 21, ,, | 15.9 | 17.8 | 53.1 | 51.2 | + 1.9 |
| „ „ ,, ,, June 18, ,, | 18.8 | 16.7 | 58.5 | 55.4 | + 3.1 |
| „ „ ,, „ July 16, „ | 14.4 | 16.7 | 64.4 | 61.3 | + 3.3 |
| ,, ,, „ „Aug. 13, ,, | 16.9 | 18.6 | 62.4 | 62.7 | — 0.3 |
| ,, „ „ „ Sep. 10, ,, | 13.4 | 16.8 | 56.5 | 61.8 | — 53 |
| „ ,, „ ,, Oct. 8, ,, | 13.6 | 17.1 | 53.4 | 53.5 | — 01 |
| „ ,, „ „ Nov. 5, „ | 14.5 | 16.6 | 44.8 | 47.9 | — 3.1 |
| ,, „ „ „ Dec. 3, „ | 16.8 | 20.0 | 48.7 | 41.4 | + 7.3 |
| ,, „ ,, ,, Dec. 31, ,, | 17.4 | 20.7 | 39.3 | 38.4 | + 0.9 |
| Averages (whole year) ... | 16.6 | 18.8 | 48.8 | 49.2 |