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
Clerkenwell 1899
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Clerkenwell, St. James and St. John]
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16
The causes of death amongst aged persons will naturally be
those attributable to strain and exhaustion. Senility, Heart
Disease, Paralysis, Apoplexy are common causes. Bronchitis,
however, claimed the largest number of the 260 deaths above
recorded. To this disease is attributable a large number of deaths
at both extremes of life, infancy and old age. From a public
health point of view the deaths of persons over 65 years has not
the same significance as the infantile mortality.
CAUSES OF HIGH DEATH-RATE
IN CLERKENWELL.
As we have seen the death-rate in this district does not compare
favourably with the average London death-rate. Out of the 43
Sanitary Areas of London reported by the Registrar-General there
are only 12 Districts having a higher death-rate than that of
Clerkenwell.
Our general position in comparison with London is set forth in the following Table:—
| Year. | Clerkenwell. | London. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Births. | Deaths from all causes. | Zymotic Deaths. | Infantile Mortality per 1,000 Births. | Births. | Deaths from all causes. | i Zymotic Deaths. | Infantile Mortality per 1,000 Births. | |
| 1891 | 33.6 | 27.8 | 4.35 | 170 | 31.8 | 22.4 | 2.27 | 153 |
| 1892 | 32.9 | 27.2 | 2.86 | 172 | 30.9 | 21.6 | 2.80 | 154 |
| 1893 | 81.9 | 29.2 | 4.83 | 202 | 31.0 | 22.4 | 3.04 | 163 |
| 1894 | 33.0 | 20.8 | 2.63 | 145 | 30.1 | 18.6 | 2.65 | 143 |
| 1895 | 31.5 | 25.0 | 3.80 | 192 | 30.6 | 20.8 | 2.62 | 165 |
| 1896 | 33.5 | 22.7* | 3.80 | 184 | 30.2 | 19.3 | 3.11 | 160 |
| 1897 | 81.6 | 24.2* | 3.70 | 184 | 30.0 | 18.9 | 2.56 | 15.8 |
| 1898 | 31.2 | 23.8* | 4.28 | 196 | 29.4 | 19.4 | 2.77 | 166 |
| 1899 | 80.9 | 24.7* | 3.04 | 193 | 29.4 | 19.3 | 2.46 | 166 |
*These Death Rates have been "corrected" for sex and age distribution
in the same way as the returns 1891-95 were "corrected," in order that
all the figures in this table may be comparable.
At the outset there are two points calling for comment. First,
there is no doubt that from the peculiar fact that Clerken well contains
no public hospitals, asylums, and institutions of that nature,