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
Willesden 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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6. B.C.G. Vaccination of School Leavers 1953-1955
| No. tested and found negative | No. vaccinated | |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 587 | 456 |
| *(32.5) | †(77.7) | |
| 1954 | 447 | 391 |
| (23.9) | (87.5) | |
| 1955 | 1535 | 1279 |
| (75.2) | (83.3) |
* Percentage of total tested.
† Percentage of negatives vaccinated.
7. Deaths : When Notified
| 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1950-55 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 51 | 46 | 29 | 25 | 37 | 27 | 215 |
| Percentage not notified | 12 | 20 | 21 | 28 | 19 | 15 | 19 |
| Percentage notified before death: | |||||||
| 0—12 months | 35 | 15 | 21 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 18 |
| 1—5 years | 27 | 39 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 26 | 30 |
| Over 5 years | 26 | 26 | 27 | 36 | 40 | 44 | 33 |
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA
Water
The Metropolitan Water Board and the Colne Valley Water Company supply Willesden with water
of excellent quality.
Sewage and Drainage
Most of the sewage of the Borough is discharged into the London County Council main sewers, but
a small amount from the Park Royal area is discharged into the West Middlesex Main Drainage System.
Refuse Disposal
The Borough Engineer's Department deals with the provision of dust-bins.
House refuse is collected weekly; trade refuse as often as required at an agreed charge. The refuse
is disposed of by controlled tipping at Twyford.
Household Arrangements
The County Report of Middlesex (Census 1951; see Annual Report for 1953), reveals Willesden's
housing problems as compared with the rest of the County. Willesden was developed first in the County, and
so has the oldest property with all the usual defects.
Shared Dwellings and Overcrowding
There is a much higher proportion of households in shared dwellings (six out of ten) than for the
average of the County (three out of ten) and Greater London (four out of ten); it is much higher than that
of England and Wales (two out of ten).
The number of persons per room is higher than that of Greater London, England and Wales, and
any district in the County, and the percentage of population and of households at densities over 1 and 2 persons
per room is the highest in the County, in some instances the percentage is more than double.
Bathrooms
The proportion of households either sharing or without a fixed bath (six out of' ten) is almost double
that of the average of the County, and is much higher than that of Greater London and England and
Wales (about four out of ten).
The proportion sharing or without a water closet, cooking stove or a kitchen sink is higher than the
average of the County of Middlesex.