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
Walthamstow 1920
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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The birth-rate for the various Wards for Census years 1901 and 1911, and for 1919 and 1920 were as follows:—
| St. James Street. | High Street. | Hoe Street. | Wood Street. | Hale End. | Higham Hill. | Whole District. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 33.0 | 35.7 | 28.0 | 28.4 | 39.8 | 33.1 | |
| 1911 | 26.4 | 26.9 | 20.0 | 23.5 | 27.0 | 25.3 | |
| 1919 | 17.2 | 19.1 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.6 | 16.2 | 17.2 |
| 1920 | 25.0 | 24.9 | 20.0 | 23.7 | 21.5 | 25.0 | 24.7 |
The decline in the birth-rate for the Whole District in 1920 was a
little over 25 per cent, as compared with 1901, but slightly less than in
1911, and compared with 1919 there was an improvement of 23 percent.
DEATHS AND DEATH-RATES.
WHOLE DISTRICT.
During the year 834 deaths—males, 429; females, 405—were
registered within the District. Twenty of these— males, 7; females,
13—were of non-residents and are now excluded.
The deaths of those dying without the District, namely 179 in West
Ham Infirmary, 70 in the Workhouse, 53 in Forest Gate Sick Homes,
24 in Lunatic Asylums, 14 in the London Hospital, and 139 elsewhere,
are now added, making a total of 1,293—males, 673 ; females, 620.
The total deaths given by the Registrar-General for the year of 52
weeks ending on January 1st, 1921, is 1,305, or 12 more than I
account for. This difference makes no appreciable alteration in our
death-rate given as 9.7 per 1,000.
All deaths registered within the District, except six, were certified by
the Coroner or a registered Medical Practitioner, and the death-rate is
reckoned on a population of 132,771, that is, by exclusion of all noncivilian
males whether serving at home or abroad.
The death-rate for England and Wales was 12-4 • that of the 96 Great
Towns 12-5; that of the 148 Smaller Towns ITS, and for London 12-4.
The birth, death, and infantile mortality rates of certain districts of the outer zone of London compared with Walthamstow, are as follows:—
| District. | Population. | Birth-rate. | Death-rate. | Deaths of Children under one year to 1,000 Births. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Ham | 299,440 | 33.0 | 12.7 | 72 |
| Willesden | 167,328 | 25.2 | 9.8 | 65 |
| Tottenham | 146,970 | 25.5 | 9.7 | 64 |
| Hornsey | 98,107 | 16.1 | 9.1 | 57 |
| Leyton | 128,832 | 22.8 | 9.9 | 69 |
| Croydon | 191,580 | 23.0 | 10.8 | 62 |
| East Ham | 150,207 | 23.0 | 9.6 | 65 |
| Ilford | 82,693 | 19.9 | 8.9 | 56 |
| Edmonton | 73,529 | 27.9 | 9.5 | 62 |
| 132,771 | 23.9 | 9.6 | 62 |