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
East Ham 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
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Of these sections, on reference to the table concerned, it will be seen that the following five groups were responsible for 74 per cent. of the total deaths :—
| A. Infectious and Parasitic | |
| Diseases | 202 or 13.8 per cent, of total |
| B. Cancer and other Tumours | 244 or 16.7 per cent, of total |
| E. Diseases of the Nervous System and Sense Organs ... | 129 or 8.8 per cent, of total |
| F. Diseases of the Circulatory System ... | 315 or 21.6 per cent, of total |
| G. Diseases of the Respiratory System | 191 or 13.1 per cent, of total |
The percentage of total deaths in the various age-groups was as follows :—
| Under 1 Year ' | 1:2 Years | 2-5 Years | 5-15 Years | 15-25 Years | 25-35 Years | 35-45 Years | 45-55 Years | 55-65 Years | 05-75 Years | 75 Years and upwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7-7 | 1-2 | 1-7 | 30 | 4-9 | 5-7 | 5-5 | 10-5 | 16-2 | 21 0 | 221 |
Reference to the table " Ward Distribution of Deaths and
Ward Death Rates " indicates that Kensington Ward had the
highest death rate, 12.5, and Greatfield the lowest, 6.6. It is
interesting to note that of the total deaths 715 occurred in
institutions.
Of the inward transferable deaths (those residents dying outside
the Borough), 600 occurred in hospitals and institutions in
and around London.
Fifty deaths occurred in East Ham of non-residents, 40 of
whom died in the East Ham Memorial Hospital.
Infantile Mortality.
The number of deaths of infants under one year of age was
112, equivalent to an infantile mortality rate of 54 per 1,000 live
births, as compared with 121 deaths and a rate of 59 for 1931.
In 1909 when I was appointed your Medical Officer of Health,
the infantile mortality rate was 95 per 1,000 live births. Since the
passing of the Notification of Births Act and the Maternity and
Child Welfare Act, with the consequent formation of a subdepartment
to deal with Maternity and Child Welfare, this rate
has rapidly decreased. It will be seen that the difference between
the rate of 1909 and that of 1932, results in the saving of 41 infant
lives in every 1,000 babies born alive.