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
Whitechapel 1878
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Whitechapel]
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Table showing the annual rate of mortality per 1000 living in England . and Wales, at different ages, in 1848-72, and in 1876, and is taken from the last Annual Report of the Registrar-General (1878), page xxviii.
| Ages. | 25 years, 1848-72. | Year 1876. | Excess or Defect in 1876 over or under the average. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cols. 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | |
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| All Ages. | 23.5 | 21,4 | 22.5 | 19.7 | —1.0 | —1.7 |
| 0 | 72.8 | 63.1 | 68.1 | 57.9 | —4.7 | —5.2 |
| 5 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 6.4 | 6.0 | —2.1 | —2.2 |
| 10 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.7 | —1.1 | -1.1 |
| 15 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 5.4 | 5.3 | —1.1 | —1.7 |
| 20 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 7.4 | 6.8 | -1.1 | -1.9 |
| 25 | 9.9 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 8.3 | - .6 | —1.6 |
| 35 | 13.3 | 12.1 | 14.0 | 11.7 | + .7 | — .4 |
| 45 | 18.6 | 15.6 | 19.4 | 15.2 | + .8 | — .4 |
| 55 | 32.0 | 28.2 | 34.4 | 28.3 | + 2.4 | + .1 |
| 65 | 67.7 | 57.2 | 66.3 | 58.4 | —1.4 | + 1.2 |
| 75 | 146.6 | 133.9 | 143.1 | 127.4 | —3.5 | —6.5 |
| 85 and upwards | 309.7 | 284.4 | 286.5 | 271.8 | —23.2 | —12.6 |
In the year ended December, 1876, the deaths of children under one month
in this District were 110, or about four per cent. of the total births; 86 died at
one and under three months, or about three per cent. of the births, and 98 at
three months and under six months, or 3.3 per cent. of the registered
births. The total deaths under 6 months were 294, or 10.6 per cent. of the
registered births.
"The average deaths of males to females in England and Wales in the
year is 104 to 100. A comparison of the death-rates at different ages in 1876,
with the annual average rates in the 25 years 1848-72, shows that the reduction
at all ages was mainly due to a much lower rate among children and
among persons at ages under 35 and over 75 years."
"London," says the Registrar-General, at page 3, in his last Annual
Summary, dated 20th May, 1878, " maintains its position as the healthiest city
in the world. During the past year its prosperity was indicated by a birthrate
above the average of the preceding ten years, while a remarkably low
death-rate bears testimony to the success which has attended the efforts that
have been made during the last quarter of a century to promote the public