London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hackney 1859

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]

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in Hackney, as before stated, 15.5; in the Isle of Wight and Lowestoft,
16 per 1000; in Tunbridge, Dover, Eastbourne, and Barnstaple, 17 per
1000; in Thanet and Weymouth, 18 per 1000; in Scarborough, Kendal,
Brighton, Worthing, and Warwick, 19 per 1000.* I have not assigned
any number for the sub-districts of Hackney, as it is impossible to
ascertain their populations with any approach to accuracy.
From the reading of the last Quarterly Report of the Medical Officer of
Health to the City, and the article in the "Times" newspaper thereon,
(which has been commented on at this Board), it might be considered that
the low death rate during this quarter had been almost, if not entirely, the
result of sanitary measures, and that a similar rate might be expected for
the future. This, however, must not be looked for, unless our climate
should so far change as to have the frequent recurrence of such favourable
meteorological conditions as obtained during the quarter under consideration.
There is no doubt but that proper sanitary supervision of a district
will materially reduce the death rate, but it will not do so suddenly; nor
will it change, although it will modify, the mortality which belongs to each
season, and which is the result, in great part, of the average temperature.
I state this again, that disappointment may not result from too high an
estimate being placed on the results obtainable from the Metropolis Local
Management Act.
The mortality at the different ages is more satisfactory even than the
aggregate mortality, for only 52 infants died out of the total 334 deaths;
of the remainder, 76 died above 1 year of age but under 20; 56 between
20 and 40; 58 between 40 and 60; 60 between 60 and 80; and 23 above
80. The percentage of death at these ages are as follows: 15.3 per cent.
in children under 1 year old; 22.8 per cent between 1 and 20 years;
16.8 per cent. between 20 and 40; 17.4 per cent. between 40 and 60;
20.8 per cent. between 60 and 80; and 6.9 per cent. above 80. The
small number of infants and the large proportion of elderly and old people
who died, and therefore the unusual duration of life, may be shewn by
comparing them with the returns from the City for the same period, and
for Hackney during the year 1858.

RATE OF DEATH AT DIFFERENT AGES.

2nd Quarter, 1859. City,2nd Quarter, 1859. Hackney,Year 1858. Hackney,
per cent.per cent.per cent.
Under 1 year38.915.324.4
Between 1 and 20 years6.122.822.4
„ 20 and 40 years15.916.813.5
„ 40 and 60 years18.317.414.3
Above 6020.827.725.4

*These figures are taken from the last Quarterly Return of the Registrar General of births, &c.,
and are calculated on the populations of 1851, and are therefore not absolutely correct.