London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
East Ham 1909
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
This page requires JavaScript
TABLE III.
| Attack-rates per 1,000 of Population. | Death-rates per 1,000 of Population. | Persons per Acre. | Persons per House. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Ham | ||||
| Barking | 5 | 5.60 | ||
| EAST HAM | ||||
| Walthamstow | 2.7 | 21 | ||
| Leyton | 2.12 | 0.28 | ||
| Ilford | 2.1 | 0.16 | 4.90 | |
| Essex (Urban Districts) | 0.29 | 6 | — | |
| England and Wales | 2.18 | 0.21 | 1 | — |
The above Table shows that the Diphtheria attack-rates
and death-rates for the Urban Districts of Essex during the
past ten years have been higher than those of England and
Wales.
It also shows that the larger and more densely populated
districts suffer more than the Urban Districts of the County as
a whole, doubtless because included in the latter are many
small areas of really rural character.
No doubt density of population per house is of even greater
importance than density per acre, and in this respect Table III.
is most interesting. It will be noticed that the highest deathrate
is in the district where the number of persons per house is
greatest (West Ham), and the lowest death-rate is where the
number of persons per house is least (Ilford), and with one
exception this rule holds good in all the districts mentioned, the
exception being in favour of East Ham, although the number of
persons per house is greater here than in Barking, the deathrate
in East Ham is lower than that of Barking.
To make this point quite clear I have arranged all the
districts mentioned in two columns, the first column referring
to death-rates, the highest being first in order, the next column
dealing with the number of persons per house, the highest
being first:—