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
Penge 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Penge]
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6
Infantile Mortality
The number of deaths under one year of age was 13, corresponding to a
rate of 26.80 per 1,000 births, compared with a rate of 24.43 for 1953. The infantile
mortality rate for England and Wales was 25.5. Nine of the thirteen infants died
under the age of four weeks, two of whom died from congenital malformations.
The following table shows the comparative figures for 1954.
| Rate per 1,000 Home Population | Rate per 1,000 total births | Death Rate per 1,000 Home Population | Deaths under I year per 1,000 live Births | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live Births | Still Births | |||
| Penge Urban District | 17.1 | 31.9 | 9.6 | 26.8 |
| England and Wales | 15.2 | 23.4 | 11.3 | 25.5 |
| 160 County Boroughs and Great Towns including London | 16.8 | 25.6 | 9.6 | 29.2 |
| 160 Smaller Towns (resident populations, 25,000 to 50,000 at Census, 1951) | 15.4 | 22.4 | 11.3 | 23.8 |
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA
Water Supply
The water supply of the area has been satisfactory both in quality and
quantity, all the houses in the district being provided with a constant service
of water by the Metropolitan Water Board. The County Pathologist reports
that the samples of water submitted to him quarterly were good. The majority
of the premises are directly connected to the rising main. Four storage cisterns
were renewed, cleansed or covered.
Drainage and Sewerage.
All the premises in the district are connected to the public sewers, the sewerage
of Penge going through the Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham, into the
London County Council's sewers, and part of the surface water into a local
stream which is culverted. No important additions to existing works of sewerage
have been made during the year.
Rivers and Streams
There are no rivers in the district. There is a stream forming part of the
boundary between Penge and Beckenham, the whole of which is culverted.
Closet Accommodation
The whole of the premises in the area are provided with waterclosets
connected to the main drainage system.