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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 1932.
The report is an " Ordinary " 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. Ordinary reports are expected
to deal with the sanitary circumstances, the sanitary administration and
the vital statistics relating to the District for the year under review.
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
resident population of the borough is estimated by the Registrar-General'
at 59,430, a figure which is above that for last year.
The birth rate (11.9) is lower than that for last year (12.8). The
marriage rate (9.9) is also lower than that for last year (10.7). The
death rate (12.9) is higher than that for London generally (12.3) and
compares with (14.1) last year. It is, perhaps, not generally realised
that over 10 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—and that one-half of all deaths in
Chelsea occur in persons over 65 years of age.
The infant mortality rate was 52, as compared with 42 last year. This
represents the lowest infant mortality rate in the Metropolitan Boroughs
for the year.
These figures indicate that the general improvement in the public
health of the Borough continues to be maintained.
There was a large increase in the total incidence of notifiable infectious
disease during the year, mainly owing to an increased number of cases
of diphtheria, scarlet fever and erysipelas. The number of cases of
chicken pox, pneumonia and tuberculosis remained approximately the
same.
A considerable increase was recorded in the number of cases of measles.
At the end of the year there were 315 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis
and 75 cases of non-pulmonary tuberculosis known to be living in the
Borough—a total somewhat higher than that for last year.
Maternity and Child Welfare work has continued to grow in extent
and usefulness. The attendances at the welfare centres were 8,496,
and 7,705 visits to homes of patients were recorded. I continue to