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
Chislehurst 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Chislehurst]
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14
BIRTHS.
One thousand, two hundred and twenty-seven live births were
registered during the year, a decrease of seventeen compared with
the previous year.
The birth rate for the year is 14.0 which is .2 lower than that
for 1956. The adjusted rate for comparison purposes is 13.6.
The rate for England and Wales as a whole is 16.5.
Of the births registered, six hundred and fourteen were males,
and six hundred and thirteen females. There were thirty-five
illegitimate births.
Twenty-three stillbirths were registered, giving a rate of 0.26
per 1,000 total population, and 18.4 per 1,000 live and still births.
Fourteen of the stillbirths were males and nine females. The
figure for 1957 shows a decrease of seven compared with the
year 1956.
DEATHS.
Seven hundred and thirty-three deaths appertaining to the
Urban District were registered during the year, giving a death rate
of 8.3 per 1,000 total population. The adjusted rate for comparison
purposes is 11.0. The rate for England and Wales as a whole
is 11.5.
Full details of the causes of death will be found in Table II in the Appendix, but the following information with regard to certain causes of death in the Urban District during the past six years may be of interest.
| 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer (all sites) | 127 | 154 | 149 | 157 | 127 | 151 |
| Cancer of the Lung, Bronchus | 21 | 38 | 36 | 44 | 31 | 34 |
| Respiratory Diseases (not T.B.) | 72 | 80 | 73 | 87 | 88 | 99 |
| Tuberculosis | 22 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 8 |
| Digestive Diseases | 11 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 17 |
| Heart and Circulatory Diseases | 377 | 325 | 320 | 353 | 329 | 348 |
| Infectious Diseases | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — |
| Road Traffic Accidents | 4 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Other Violent Causes | 10 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 13 |
| Suicide | 8 | 13 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 2 |
Deaths from cancer rose appreciably compared with the
previous year, including a small increase in the number of deaths
from lung cancer. Non-tuberculosis respiratory diseases also
exacted an increased toll but such a rise is only to be expected in
a year in which influenza was so prevalent. It is very encouraging
to note that there were no deaths from the common infectious
diseases and that the tuberculosis rate remained low. It is also
worth recording that suicides accounted for fewer deaths than in
any of the previous five years.