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
St Pancras 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, Metropolitan Borough]
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The remaining bakehouses were to be closed as follows:—
| Forthwith | 4 |
| Within six months | 4 |
| Within one year | 1 |
| Within two years | 8 |
| Within three years | 1 |
| Not to be closed while in present ownership | 3 |
It will be seen that at the end of five years there should not be more than five
underground bakehouses in the borough. In the meanwhile existing bakehouses are being
improved, in accordance with undertakings which were given by many bakers when they
stated their case before the appropriate Sub.Committee.
Statistics.
There were 2,188 births to St. Pancras residents during the year. This is 102 less than
last year. The birth rate has dropped from 16.2 to 15.5, the death rate from 12.5 to 11.5
The infantile mortality rate is 30.6, the same as last year.
Attention has recently been called to the number of deaths from tuberculosis. It has
been pointed out that not only is the death rate falling but also the notification rate.
In St. Pancras there were 76 deaths from tuberculosis compared with 105 in 1949, and
the tuberculosis death rate has fallen from .74 to .54 per 1,000 population. The number
of notifications last year was 376 compared with 352 in 1949.
I think it important that we should realise the position as to tuberculosis in the borough.
The fall in the death rate is largely due to better methods of treatment, resulting from new
surgical methods and the use of streptomycin and para.aminosalicylic acid.
This fall in the death rate, however, does not mean that there are fewer cases of
tuberculosis, possibly infectious tuberculosis, in the borough. It may mean quite the opposite
in that persons suffering from tuberculosis live longer than they did in past years.
The following table shows the number of persons living in St. Pancras notified as suffering from tuberculosis and a comparison with past years shows that the number of names on the register is increasing.
| Year | Pulmonary | Non.Pulmonary | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | 964 | 155 | 1,119 |
| 1946 | 1,012 | 159 | 1,171 |
| 1947 | 1,069 | 156 | 1,225 |
| 1948 | 1,128 | 177 | 1,305 |
| 1949 | 1,180 | 176 | 1,356 |
| 1950 | 1,250 | 186 | 1,436 |
There is in fact every need to investigate the conditions under which persons suffering
from tuberculosis are living in the borough in order to satisfy ourselves not only that every
form of treatment is available to them but that insofar as means are available they are living
in conditions which will not result in the spread of infection.