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5
Town Hall,
Fulham, S.W. 6.
July, 1927.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Fidham.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit the Annual Report
on the vital statistics and sanitary condition of the
Borough for the year 1926.
I was appointed Medical Officer of Health on
17th June, 1926, having acted in that capacity since
15th May, when Dr. Hewat's resignation came into
effect on his appointment as Senior Medical Officer
to the London County Council.
The present organisation of the Public Health
Department was evolved under the administration
of the late Dr. Jackson, and its success was mainly
due to his work, initiative and imaginative outlook.
This work has been ably continued and built up by
Dr. Hewat during his four years of office.
Apart from the official public health work of the
County and Borough Councils, Guardians, Metropolitan
Asylums Board and insurance Medical Services,
Fulham possesses several Voluntary Committees
whose activities are of great value. The Maternity
and Child Welfare Centres, the Babies' Hospital, the
Day Nursery and the District Nursing Association
are managed by Voluntary Committees and all perform
essential services. The work of the Council and of
the medical practitioners is supplemented in various
ways by the Charity Organisation Society, the Invalid
Children's Aid Association, the United Services Fund,
the British Red Cross Society, the Children's Country
Holiday Fund, the Women's Holiday Fund and the
British Social Hygiene Council.
It will be seen from the report that the estimated
population, 164,300 for the year 1926, is the highest
ever recorded for the Borough, but that the birth-rate
has fallen from 16.9 per thousand of the population
in 1925 to 16.2 per thousand in 1926. As an offset