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
Hackney 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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28
An attempt in this Report to review the causes of maternal
deaths in Hackney in recent years would serve no useful purpose.
The four deaths in 1936 like practically all the deaths which have
occurred in recent years were not preventable by any ante.natal
scheme of maternal supervision according to our present knowledge.
It rarely happens that ante.natal supervision has not been given
except to cases of concealed pregnancy or cases where abortion has
occurred. No amount of ante.natal supervision, for instance, can
prevent a cerebral haemorrhage where no reason exists for suspecting
the possibility of such an occurrence.
The maternal deaths and death.rates in the years 1932 to 1936 in England and Wales, London and Hackney were as follow:—
| 1932. | 1933. | 1934. | 1935. | 1936. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | Number of Deaths | 2,587 | 2,618 | 2,748 | 2,457 | * |
| Death Rate | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | |
| London | Number of Deaths | 178 | 201 | 158 | 144 | * |
| Death Rate | 2.6 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 2.5 | * | |
| Hackney | Number of Deaths | 11 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 4 |
| Death Rate | 3.4 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 1.2 | |
The special arrangements made by the Borough Council for the
investigation of maternal deaths and cases of puerperal fever and
puerperal pyrexia are described on page 63 of this Report.
SENILE MORTALITY.
The deaths of Hackney residents of 65 years of age and upwards
which occurred during 1936 numbered 1,254, and of these 587 were
between the ages of 65 and 75 years, 533 between 75 and 85 years,
and 134 at 85 years and upwards. The annual mortality.rate of
persons at 65 years and upwards is 5.9 per 1,000 inhabitants.