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
Heston and Isleworth 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Heston and Isleworth]
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| No. of Stillbirths | Rate per 1,000 total births | |
|---|---|---|
| 1945-49 | 198 | 23.8 |
| 1950-54 | 129 | 20.6 |
| 1955 | 20 | 16.9 |
| 1956 | 24 | 19.1 |
| 1957 | 15 | 11.4 |
| 1958 | 17 | 13.3 |
This loss of potential lives remains a problem and until more is known of the
causes little further improvement can be expected
DEATHS The deaths of residents of the Borough during 1958 were 1,116 (545
male, 571 female). This represents a death rate for the Borough of 10 6 per 1,000
population The deaths in any area are influenced by the sex and age distribution of
the population, and to permit of a true comparison, the Registrar-General calculates
for each local sanitary authority area what is called an area comparability factor.
When this is applied to the above Borough rate, the result is 11.3 as compared with
a death rate of 11.7 per 1,000 population for England and Wales
The Registrar-General has classified the deaths registered during the year, and
the details are given in Tables II, ill, and IV The cause of death was certified by
the Coroner in 238 cases.
A progressive change is taking place in the percentage age distribution of deaths, and this is shown in the following table:-
| 1910-14 | 1945 49 | 1950-54 | 1958 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | 21.8 | 5.3 | 2.4 | 1.9 |
| 1-4 years | 8.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.09 |
| 5-14 years | 3.8 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| 15 - 24 years | 3.7 | 2.1 | 0. 8 | 1.2 |
| 25 - 64 years | 30.8 | 33.0 | 31.6 | 29.1 |
| 65 years and over | 31.5 | 56.7 | 64.3 | 67.1 |
The chief causes of death in males were heart and circulatory diseases; cancer;
bronchitis and pneumonia; cerebral haemorrhage, in females the chief causes of death
were heart and circulatory diseases; cerebral haemorrhage; cancer; bronchitis and
pneumonia. In females 53.4 per cent of deaths occurred at age 75 years and over as
compared with 30. 8 per cent in males
The Secretary of the Road Safety Committee informs me that during 1958 there
were 805 road accidents which resulted in 17 deaths, serious injury to 184 persons
and slight injury to 776 persons. All these figures show an increase in the corresponding
figures for 1957.
The number of deaths from motor vehicle and other accidents in Borough residents during the last ten years is shown below:-
| Year | Motor Vehicle Accidents Age in years | Other Accidents Age in years | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 5-14 | 15-64 | 65+- | All ages | 0-4 | 5-14 | 15-64 | 65 + | All ages | |
| 1949 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 2 | - | 9 | 8 | 19 |
| 1950 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 26 |
| 1951 | - | - | 9 | 3 | 12 | - | 1 | 4 | 13 | 18 |
| 1952 | - | 1 | 3 | 7 | 11 | - | - | 3 | 12 | 15 |
| 1953 | - | - | 9 | 8 | 17 | - | - | 5 | 15 | 20 |
| 1954 | - | 1 | 9 | 3 | 13 | 1 | - | 9 | 13 | 23 |
| 1955 | - | - | 7 | 7 | 14 | - | 1 | 4 | 13 | 18 |
| 1956 | - | 2 | 9 | 6 | 17 | - | - | 11 | 8 | 19 |
| 1957 | 1 | - | 5 | 4 | 10 | 2 | - | 1 | 15 | 18 |
| 1958 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 17 | - | - | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| Total | 5 | 11 | 75 | 54 | 145 | 7 | 3 | 59 | 123 | 192 |
Care and attention in the home, in the factory and on the roads is essential and
the special proneness to accidents of the aged should be remembered
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