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Metropolitan Borough of Deptford.
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
New Cross Road, S.E. 14.
30th April, 1925.
To His Worship the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Deptford.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present to you the Annual Report for the
year 1924, dealing with the health and sanitary circumstances of the
Borough. This report forms one of the "Ordinary" annual reports,
but next year's will be, at the request of the Ministry of Health, a
"Survey" report; this latter will deal, amongst other things, with the
progress made in the borough during the preceding five years, in the
improvement of the public health.
In many respects the year that has passed has been a satisfactory
one. The increasing numbers of expectant women attending the Antenatal
centre, necessitated the institution of a third session. In the
course of her report, Dr. Hill has given a Table from which some idea
can be obtained of the ailments from which expectant women suffer.
Think of the sufferings of, and the risks taken by many expectant
women, who pass on to their confinement without the protection and
security which attendance at the ante-natal centre affords.
An increase in the infant mortality rate, from 59 to 76 per 1,000
born, need cause no apprehension; the rate of 76 is the third best in
the history of the borough, and it was obtained in the teeth of a raging
Measles epidemic which lasted several months. I am concerned at the
loss of 45 infants from Pneumonia and 11 from Bronchitis. Some
Measles cases terminate as fatal Pneumonias, and Measles we certainly
will have every two to three years; even so we should not lose so many
infants from Pneumonia and Bronchitis. The Borough provides
nursing assistance, but the main remedy is to be found in the supply