[Report 1903] / Medical Officer of Health, Royal Tunbridge Wells Borough.

Tunbridge Wells (England). Borough Council.

Date:: 1903

Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1903] / Medical Officer of Health, Royal Tunbridge Wells Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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This makes the fourth consecutive period of twelve months during which the death-rate has fallen below 13 per 1,000, a fact that, more even than the year’s low death-rate shews the high standard of efficiency, to which precaution and foresight have attained in those responsible for the administration of the sanitary department of the work of the Council. TABLE I. COMPARISON OP THE DEATH-RATES FOR TEN YEARS. 1894 ... ... ... I3'4 1895 ... ... I33 1896 ... ... ... i37 1897 ... ... • • • I2‘2 1898 .. - ... ... 138 1899 ... 14-8 1900 127 1901 ... 129 1902 ... 127 1903 ... ... ... 12-3 mean Death-rate for Ten Years 131 The death-rate for England and Wales for 1903, was 15-4. Correction of Death-Rate, and Foreign Mortality.—For many years I have shewn the incidence of mortality not properly belonging to the returns of this Borough, which I have alluded to under the name of foreign mortality. By this term I have indicated the deaths of people resident here for a period of less than three months, who came here in fact for the benefit they expected to derive from the healthful and lifegiving qualities of the air and surroundings of Tunbridge Wells. The high reputation of this neighbourhood for dealing tenderly with the frail invalid and the aged sojourner through the evening of life, has brought great num¬ bers here practically for the purpose of ending their days among us, with a consequent considerable increase in our mortality bills, and I am concerned, jealous as I am over the high standard to which we have attained, that you should appreciate this incidence at its .approximate value. This mortality during the year 1903, .introduced no less than 20 deaths, or one in every twenty-one of the