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
Walthamstow 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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13
CANCER DEATHS
The following table shows deaths from Cancer (including
Leukaemia and Aleukaemia) and death rates in England and Wales
and Walthamstow during the years 1943 and 1955.
The table has been prepared with the assistance of the Registrar General's office.
| Year | Total Deaths | Rate per 1,000 population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eng. & Wales | Walthamstow | Eng. & Wales | Walthamstow | |
| 1943 | 73,566 | 235 | 1.9 | 2.3 |
| 1944 | 73,497 | 220 | 1.9 | 2.2 |
| 1945 | 75,712 | 207 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 1946 | 77,516 | 223 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| 1947 | 79,784 | 234 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| 1948 | 81,655 | 223 | 1.9 | 1.8 |
| 1949 | 83,204 | 209 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| 1950 | 85,270 | 253 | 1.9 | 2.1 |
| 1951 | 86,080 | 206 | 2.0 | 1.7 |
| 1952 | 87,642 | 241 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 1953 | 87,924 | 211 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
| 1954 | 90,095 | 261 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
| 1955 | 91,337 | 272 | 2.0 | 2.3 |
The average rate per 1,000 population in Walthamstow would
approximate very closely that to England and Wales.
Deaths from Accidents in the Home
Ten deaths took place in 1955 following accidents in the home.
Seven of the deaths were in hospital and three at home. Five were
in elderly persons ranging from 67 to 90 years of age; one was a
male aged 32 years, two were of school age, and two were children
under school age, one of these being an infant of six months who
was accidentally suffocated. Of the remaining nine deaths, five were
from burns, three were from falls and one from asphyxia due to
carbon monoxide (coal gas) poisoning.
In order to put these deaths in proper perspective, the following comparison is made:—
| Cause of death | 1954 | 1955 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | Suicide | 15 | 4 |
| (b) | Motor Vehicle Accidents | 9 | 5 |
| (c) | All other accidents | 14 | 14 |
| (d) | Accidents in the home (included in line (c)) | 7 | 10 |
| (e) | Tuberculosis | 11 | 17 |
| (0 | Poliomyelitis | Nil | Nil |