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7
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Pancras Road, N.W.
July, 1917.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of St. Pancras.
Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present to you the Sixty-first Annual Report on
the vital statistics and sanitary condition of the Sanitary District of St.
Pancras, including particulars of the year's work of the department. This
is the fourth annual report which it has been my duty to submit, and on this
occasion it has been considerably abridged with a view to economy.
It is satisfactory to record that in 1916, in spite of the continuance of war
conditions, the state of health in the borough as revealed by the death rates
was good. The general mortality was the lowest for some years, and the rate
of infantile mortality the lowest ever recorded in the borough. On the other
hand, the decline in the birth-rate has continued. The rate for 1916 was by
far the lowest on record for the borough, the number of St. Pancras children
born during the year being 753 less than the average for the preceding five
years. This decline emphasizes the national importance of redoubled efforts
to prevent the loss of infant life, which, although there has been great
improvement in recent years, is still much greater than it need be.
There was no unusual prevalence of infectious disease in 1916. Scarlet
fever was singularly slight in incidence, the number of cases reported being
the lowest on record in the borough. The outbreak of cerebrospinal fever,
which appeared in the previous year, continued to a less extent.
The general work of the department was continued under considerable
difficulties owing to the enlistment of sanitary inspectors and clerks, and
towards the end of the year two ladies were appointed as temporary sanitary
inspectors. At the end of the year also the appointment of two more health
inspectors was decided upon, and the appointments were made early in 1917.
Additional work was thrown upon the visiting staff by the fact that
measles and german measles were made notifiable diseases from the beginning
of the year. All cases reported were immediately visited, and by means of a
voluntary fund visiting nurses were sent to help during the illness in the
cases where they were required. The Work done in connection with this