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Public Health Department,
Lewisham Town Hall,
Catford, S.E.6.
16 MAY 1942
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to submit my Annual Report on the health and
sanitary conditions of the Borough for the year 1940. In
accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of Health
it is an abridged report, like that of the previous year,
and records only essential vital and other statistics.
The Registrar General's estimate of the resident
population shows a considerable decrease - 192,540 compared
with 220,300 in 1939 - which is no doubt due to evacuation
and war conditions.
The death rate increased from 10.79 in 1939 to 15.8
per thousand in 1940 and compares with 17.8 for the County
of London. The increase is mainly attributable to the
large number of deaths classified as "Other Violent Causes",
which includes deaths due to war operations.
The incidence of infectious disease was remarkably
low, and no serious outbreak of epidemic disease of any
kind occurred, although the risk of such outbreaks was
considered to be serious owing to the adverse conditions
associated with air raid shelter life, The number of cases
of Tuberculosis notified was also lower than in 1939.
Generally speaking the health conditions of the
Borough were satisfactory, and not with standing the difficult
war conditions all the essential services were maintained.
I am, Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
JOHN W. MILLER,
Medical Officer of Health.