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
Southall-Norwood 1925
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall-Norwood]
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20
COMPARATIVE TABLES (a).
Whole District.
| year. | Deaths under 1 year. | Births. | Birth-rate per 1,000 Living. | Infant Mortality Rate. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 81 | 689 | 29.2 | 129.3 |
| 1912 | 73 | 660 | 25.5 | 110.6 |
| 1913 | 70 | 711 | 26.5 | 98.4 |
| 1914 | 50 | 698 | 25.7 | 71.6 |
| 1915 | 69 | 610 | 22.2 | 110.3 |
| 1916 | 41 | 625 | 22.9 | 65.6 |
| 1917 | 55 | 491 | 16.5 | 112.0 |
| 1918 | 39 | 517 | 15.5 | 75.4 |
| 1919 | 33 | 479 | 16.5 | 68.8 |
| 1920 | 45 | 716 | 23.4 | 66.8 |
| 1921 | 38 | 581 | 18.86 | 66.1 |
| 1922 | 26 | 576 | 18.6 | 45.1 |
| 1923 | 21 | 537 | 17.12 | 39.1 |
| 1924 | 31 | 495 | 15.57 | 62.6 |
| 1925 | 26 | 514 | 15.95 | 50.58 |
The rate of infant mortality is a delicate statistical index
of sanitary and domestic circumstances. When it consistently
exceeds the average for the country it tells of unsatisfactory
sanitary conditions—not only of defective sanitation, as
generally understood—bad drainage, scavenging, house construction,
and so forth—but also of maternal ignorance and
neglect of baby management, the prevalence of improper
artificial feeding, and of unsatisfactory domestic environment.
The following table gives the average rates for the past 30 years:—
| (b). | ||
|---|---|---|
| Years. | Average Rate Of Infant Mortality. | Average Birth-rate per 1,000 Population. |
| 1892-1901 | 135.3 | 32.2 |
| 1902-1911 | 117.7 | 32.2 |
| 1910-1914 | 100.4 | 26.9 |
| 1915-1919 | 86.4 | 18.7 |
| 1920-1925 | 55.04 | 18.25 |