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 1891
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]
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14
DEATH.RATES IN LONDON, ENGLAND AND
WALES, &c.
Before entering upon details with respect to the causes
of death in Kensington, I may mention, by way of comparison
with our local mortality rates, that the death.rate in
England and Wales in 1891, was 20.2 per 1000, or just 10 per
1000 above the average rate in the preceding ten years. The
rate in London, as already stated, was 21.4 per 1000 (the
same as in 1890) and also l.0 above the decennial average.
The subjoined table shews the annual death.rate per 1000 persons living in each of the last eleven years, in Kensington, in London, and in England and Wales:.
| 1891. | 1890. | 1889. | 1888. | 1887. | 1886. | 1885. | 1884. | 1883. | 1882. | 1881. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington | 17.8 | 14.6 | 171 | 17.4 | 16.7 | 16.8 | 16.1 | 16.0 | 16.4 | 16.7 | |
| London | 21.4 | 18.4 | 19.3 | 20.3 | 20.6 | 20.4 | 20.9 | 20.8 | 21.5 | 21 .3 | |
| W. Districts | 20.5 | 18.1 | 19.3 | 19.9 | 19.8 | 19 9 | 19.7 | 19.8 | 20.0 | 19.6 | |
| North ,, | 19.6 | 16.9 | 17.7 | 18.9 | 18.9 | 19.3 | 19.6 | 19.4 | 19.8 | 20.7 | |
| Central „ | 24.8 | 20.9 | 22 7 | 23.5 | 23.4 | 22.9 | 23.8 | 23.3 | 24.0 | 23.4 | |
| East ,, | 25.1 | 21.2 | 22.7 | 23.3 | 23.9 | 23.0 | 23.4 | 24.4 | 25.3 | 24.3 | |
| South ,, | 19.6 | 17.7 | 18.1 | 19 1 | 19.9 | 19.1 | 20.2 | 19.8 | 20.8 | 20.5 | |
| England and Wales | 19*5 | 18.2 | 18.1 | 19.1 | 19.5 | 19.2 | 19.7 | 19.6 | 19.6 | 18.9 |
The year 1891, like 1890, stands out in marked contrast,
and disadvantageously, with several previous years, the London
death.rate (21.4 in both years) having been the highest
recorded since 1882. The increased mortality, and an unusual
prevalence of sickness, in both years, were due to
Epidemic Influenza, to which reference will be made later
on.
The Registrar.General has prepared a table shewing
diminution or excess of deaths in 1891, compared with annual
deaths in 1881.90, corrected for increase of population ; from
which we learn that there was a marked diminution in the
number of deaths from small.pox (viz., 585), measles (871),
scarlet fever (805), whooping.cough (29), "fever" (296), and