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
Enfield 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Enfield]
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The corrected birth rates for both sexes, live and still births, which takes into consideration those born outside the Borough and those in the Borough not rightly recorded to the Borough, and also the corrected birth rates for the last five years are:—
| Year. | Boys. | Girls. | Total. | Birth-rate per 1,000 Population. | Illegitimate Birth-rate per 1,000 Population. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 698 | 676 | 1,374 | 12.57 | 0.45 |
| 1954 | 709 | 706 | 1,415 | 12.95 | 0.52 |
| 1955 | 700 | 684 | 1,384 | 12.69 | 0.44 |
| 1956 | 725 | 657 | 1,382 | 12.67 | 0.45 |
| 1957 | 726 | 766 | 1,492 | 13.66 | 0.44 |
INQUESTS
Fifty-seven Inquests and two hundred and fifty-five Postmortem
examinations without inquests were held during the year.
Of these, 248 deaths were due to natural causes, 36 to accidental
causes, 18 to suicide, 5 to misadventure, and in 5 cases an open
verdict was recorded.
FATAL HOME ACCIDENTS.
During the year under review there were 16 fatal home accidents
to Enfield residents, being 2 more than the previous year. All these
accidents occurred amongst adults, 9 being over 80 and 6 between
70 and 80 years of age.
The precipitating cause of death in 14 cases was a fall, leading
in most instances to fractured bones and followed usually by lung
complications. This was an increase of 8 over the previous year's
total for this type of accident.
The number of fatal Road accidents to Enfield residents during
the year was 5.
Unfortunately, there were also 18 (10 male, 8 female) cases of
suicide, all but one being over the age of 50 years and mostly elderly.
The method adopted in 11 cases was coal gas poisoning, hanging 3,
carbon monoxide poisoning from exhaust of motor car 1, drowning 1,
barbiturate poisoning 1, aspirin poisoning 1.
It is disquieting to consider the sum total of human misery
recorded in these paragraphs and to ponder over the fact that so
much of this could, and should, be prevented.