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
Carshalton 1944
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Carshalton]
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DEATHS.
The number of deaths registered was 499, of which 248 were
males and 251 females. This total, including civilian deaths due to
enemy action, gives a death rate of 9.5 per 1,000 population.
The distribution between the wards was as follows:—
WARD DEATH RATES AND MEAN AGE AT DEATH, 1944.
| Deaths. | Death Rate (crude). | Mean Age at death. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Helier North | 51 | 6.4 | 47.1 yrs. |
| St. Helier South | 37 | 5.8 | 49.2 „ |
| St. Helier West | 52 | 6.9 | 47.5 „ |
| North-East | 61 | 7.4 | 54.9 „ |
| North-West | 86 | 13.0 | 59.3 „ |
| Central | 81 | 14.9 | 65.6 „ |
| South-East (excluding Queen Mary's Hospital) | 76 | 11.5 | 60.8 „ |
| South-West | 56 | 9.4 | 63.6 „ |
| Whole District | 500 | 9.5 | 57.3 yrs. |
The mortality from cancer is the highest yet recorded. Mainly
it is the result of the increasing average age of survival, since it is
a disease of middle and advanced life, and until progress in the
treatment of this condition shows a marked advance, it is likely that
cancer will continue to account for an increasing proportion of the
total deaths.
The death rates from cancer from 1929 were as follows:—
| 1929 | 1.1 | 1937 | 0.8 |
| 1930 | 1.3 | 1938 | 1.05 |
| 1931 | 1.1 | 1939 | 1.15 |
| 1932 | 1.08 | 1940 | 1.11 |
| 1933 | 1.1 | 1941 | 1.49 |
| 1934 | 1.2 | 1942 | 1.28 |
| 1935 | 0.8 | 1943 | 1.59 |
| 1936 | 0.96 | 1944 | 1.60 |
The years 1935-1937 to a considerable extent reflect the rapid
lowering the average age of the total population by the completion of
the St. Helier Estate. The rising trend since the low figure of 1935 has
no doubt been accelerated in the last four years by evacuation from
the district which resulted in a decrease in the number of mothers
and children.
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