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 1947
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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SUMMARY, 1947
Area of Borough 4,689 acres
Population (R.G.'s) mid-year estimate 171,870
Live births—legitimate 4,359 4,573
Live births—illegitimate 214 26.6
Birth rate (per 1,000 population) 26.6
Stillbirths—legitimate 98 103
Stillbirths—illegitimate 5
Stillbirth rate (per 1,000 total live and stillbirths) 22
Number of deaths 2,053
Death rate (per 1,000 population) 11.9
Deaths of infants under one year 190
Infantile mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) 41
Maternal deaths:—
Puerperal sepsis 6 10
Other causes 4
Maternal death rate (per 1,000 live births) 2.18
Maternal death rate (per 1,000 live and stillbirths) 2.14
VARIOUS DISEASES: Cases and deaths.
| Cases | Case rate per 1,000 pop. | Death rate Deaths per 1,000 pop. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallpox | — | — | — | — |
| Scarlet Fever | 431 | 2.51 | — | — |
| Diphtheria | 33 | 0.19 | 2 | 0.01 |
| Typhoid Fever | 4 0.02 | — | — | |
| Para-typhoid | 2 | |||
| Measles | 1,510 | 8.79 | 3 | 0.02 |
| Whooping Cough | 595 | 3.46 | 12 | 0.07 |
| Cerebro-spinal Fever | 10 | 0.05 | 3 | 0.02 |
| Diarrhoea and Enteritis under 2 years (*rate per 1,000 live births) | 36 | *7.87 | ||
| Pneumonia: | ||||
| Acute primary and Influenzal | 316 | 1.84 | 133 | 0.77 |
| All forms | — | - | ||
| Bronchitis | — | — | 189 | 1.10 |
| Tuberculosis: | ||||
| Pulmonary | 167 | 0.97 | 109 | 0.63 |
| Other forms | 24 | 0.14 | 13 | 0.08 |
| Cancer | — | — | 305 | 1.77 |