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
Brentford 1898
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Brentford]
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To the Chairman and Members of the Brentford Urban District
Council.
Annual Report, 1898
Gentlemen,
I beg to present my Annual Report upon the health and sanitary condition of the
Brentford Urban Sanitary District for the year 1898.
Population.—For the middle of the year 1898, I estimate the population of
Brentford at 14974, which is based on the census of 1891, but which I think will
be found to be under-estimated when the next census is taken in 1901. The population
of the several ecclesiastical districts into which Brentford is divided is:—St.
George's with St. James's, 5071, St. Paul's, 7880, and New Brentford 2023.
Births.—The number of births during the year has been 523, of which 305 were
males and 218 females. The birth rate is 34.9 per thousand which is one lower than
the average of the last 10 years.
Deaths.—The number of deaths during the year is 312, of which 157 were males
and 155 females. In St. George's 118, St. Paul's 152, New Brentford 42, and the
death rates respectively of these three districts is, St. George's 23.2, St. Paul's 18,
and New Brentford 20.7 per thousand. The death rate of the whole district is 20.8
per thousand which is the highest of any year since 1892 and 2.7 above the average
of the last 10 years.
January, August and September were the months with the highest mortality,
caused in the first month by Whooping Cough, and in the other two by Diarrhoea.
The principal causes of death have been—
Bronchitis, Pneumonia and Pleurisy 59
Diarrhoea 29
Phthisis 31
Whooping Cough 27
Heart Disease 18
There have been 20 Inquests held. Death resulted from accident in 2 of these
cases, 7 died from heart disease, 6 from drowning, 2 from apoplexy, 1 each from
congestion of the lungs and suicide, and in one case a verdict of wilful murder was
recorded. The number of Inquests is about the average of the last ten years, and
is greatly in excess of last year. 4 deaths were returned as "not certified," 3 of
which were infants.
The following table epitomises the ages at which the deaths occurred—
| Deaths under 1 year | 104 | 170 under 5 years old, |
| ,, from 1 to under 5 years | 66 | |
| „ „ 5 „ 15 „ | 14 | 142 over 5 years old. |
| „ „ 15 „ 25 „ | 16 | |
| „ „ 25 „ 65 „ | 71 | |
| ,, over 65 years | 41 |
4 of these deaths occurred in persons between 80 and 90 years old.
The next table shows the distribution of the mortality in the three districts of the
town during the last 10 years.
BRE 044