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
West Ham 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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| Area of Borough | 4,689 acres |
| Population (R.G.'s) mid-year estimate | 163,730 |
| Live births—legitimate 4,154 | 4,393 |
| Live births—illegitimate 239 | |
| Birth rate (per 1,000 population) | 26.8 |
| Stillbirths—legitimate 102 | 105 |
| Stillbirths—illegitimate 3 | |
| Stillbirth rate (per 1,000 total live and stillbirths) | 23 |
| Number of deaths | 1,916 |
| Death rate (per 1,000 population) | 11.7 |
| Deaths of infants under one year | 143 |
| Infantile mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) | 32 |
| Maternal deaths:— | |
| Puerperal sepsis 4 | 7 |
| Other causes 3 | |
| Maternal death rate (per 1,000 live births) | 1.59 |
| Maternal death rate (per 1,000 live and stillbirths) | 1.56 |
VARIOUS DISEASES: Cases and deaths.
| Cases | Case rate per 1,000 pop. | Deaths | Death rate per 1,000 pop. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallpox | — | — | - | — |
| Scarlet fever | 331 | 2.02 | - | — |
| Diphtheria | 98 | 0.60 | 1 | 0.006 |
| Enteric fever | 2 | 0.01 | - | — |
| Measles | 850 | 5.19 | 1 | 0.006 |
| Whooping cough | 271 | 1.65 | 3 | 0.018 |
| Cerebro-spinal fever | 8 | 0.049 | 2 | 0.012 |
| Diarrhoea and enteritis under 2 years (*rate per 1,000 live births) | - | - | 24 | *5.46 |
| Pneumonia: | ||||
| Acute primary and influenzal | 249 | 1.52 | 79 | 0.48 |
| All forms | — | — | ||
| Bronchitis | — | — | 171 | 1.04 |
| Pulmonary tuberculosis | 178 | 1.09 | 122 | 0.74 |
| Other forms of tuberculosis | 23 | 0.14 | 10 | 0.06 |
| Cancer | — | — | 274 | 1.67 |