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5
PREFACE.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit the Annual Report on the health of the
Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea for 1925.
The report is a "Survey" report as defined in the appropriate circular
of the Ministry of Health. The Ministry's programme stipulates that
for each series of five years from 1925 onwards there shall be published
one Survey and four Ordinary reports. Survey reports are expected
to deal with the measure of progress made in the area during the preceding
five years in the improvement of the public health. Any further
action of importance in the organization or development of public health
services contemplated by the Local Authority or considered desirable
by the Medical Officer of Health must also be dealt with.
The chief vital statistics relating to the year are as follows : The civil
population is estimated by the Registrar-General at 64,820, a figure
which shows an increase of 240 compared with last year. The birth
rate (14.4) is the same as that for last year. The marriage rate (8.9) is
somewhat higher than that for last year (8.7). The death rate (13.6)
is higher than that for London generally (11.7) and compares with 13.2
last year. It is, perhaps, not generally realised that nearly 9 per cent.
of the Chelsea population is made up of persons over 65 years of age—a
much higher proportion than that obtaining in any other Metropolitan
borough. The infant mortality rate was 68, as compared with 63.5 last
year. These figures indicate that the general improvement in the public
health of the Borough continues to be maintained.
The incidence of notifiable infectious diseases was somewhat higher
last year owing to an outbreak of diphtheria in the early months of the
year. The numbers of cases of scarlet fever and pneumonia remain,
approximately, the same. A considerable decrease is recorded in the
number of cases of measles.
At the end of the year there were 280 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis
and 52 cases of non-pulmonary tuberculosis known to be living in the
Borough. These figures represent a decrease as compared with those