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

Bethnal Green 1880

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green]

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Table: London, south of the Thames, now has a population of 1,265,578, against 967,692 in 1871; hence the increase of population is 297,886, and the decennial rate nearly 31 per cent., which is not far from three time3 as high as that for North London. These returns are thus epitomised:—

London, south of the Thames, now has a population of 1,265,578, against 967,692 in 1871; hence the increase of population is 297,886, and the decennial rate nearly 31 per cent., which is not far from three time3 as high as that for North London. These returns are thus epitomised:—

District.Population, 1871.Population, 1881.
St. Saviour, Southwark175,049195,111
St. Olive, Southwark122,398134,586
Lambeth208,342253,569
Wandsworth125,060210,397
Camberwell111,306186,555
Greenwich100,600131,264
Lewisham51,55773,314
Woolwich73,38080,782
Total South London967,6921,265,578

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BIRTHS AND BIRTH RATE.
5201 births were registered during the year, a rate of 40.9 per thousand
population. The Metropolitan rate for the corresponding period was 36.2,
a difference in our favour of 4.7.
MARRIAGES.
The number of marriages registered during the year was 2465, indicating
a rate of 19.4 to every thousand persons living, or as it takes two people to
make a marriage, 38.8 of every thousand of our population entered the
bonds of matrimony.
DEATHS OF INFANTS,
(Under 1 Year).
Of the total number of deaths from all causes 29.2 per cent, were those
of infants aged less than twelve months ; for out of 5201 children born
during the year 852 died before attaining that age, only 4349 surviving.
This gives a death rate, calculated upon the births, of 163.8, or of 6.7 per
thousand population.
The diseases most fatal to infants were :—Atrophy and Debility, 146 ;
Bronchitis and Pneumonia, 144; Liarrhcea, 100; Convulsions, 91;
Whooping Cough, 52; Premature Birth, 46; Consumption of the Bowels,
43; Suffocation, 41; Water on the Brain, 38.
DEATHS OF YOUNG CHILDREN,
(Under 5 Years).
Out of the total number of deaths registered in this district 1468, a
fraction over half (50.3 per cent.), were those of young children under the
age of five years.
Assuming that the proportion of young children to adults has been
maintained since the census in 1871, the number living in the parish in
1880 would be 19,200. Taking this estimate as the basis of our calculation,
we show a death rate of 76.4 per thousand children.