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METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF CHELSEA
Public Health Department,
Town Hallj,
King's Road,
CHELSEA. S.W.3.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea.
Your Worship, % Lord, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have much pleasure in submitting my annual report for the
year ending 31st December, 1952® The report has been compiled in the
manner outlined by the Minister of Health in his circular 42/l951, dated
10th December, 1951®
Throughout my report comparative references, both by the use
of graphs and tables, will illustrate the great advancements made in
achieving better standards of health.
The population of the borough is estimated by the RegistrarGeneral
to be 52,140, as compared with 52,430 and 52,490 in 1951 and
1950 respectively, representing a decline of 350 over the past two years.
Military personnel stationed in the area are included in the population,
but no information as to their numbers is available.
Births. The number of Live Births allocated to Chelsea was
787 - 406 Males and 38I Females. In 1951, there were 819 births, so
that the total has fallen by 32. An examination of the "Summary of
Vital Statistics" on page 9 will show how registered live births have
steadily declined since the cessation of hostilities..
Stillbirths. These totalled 14 - Males 93 .Females 5.
The figures for the preceding two years were as followst —
1951 Males 12 Females 8 - Total 20
1950 Males 12 t Females 12 - Total 24
The applicable Stillbirth rates were 17.5, 23.8, and 28.1
Deaths. The death rate fell by 0.3 to 12.8 as compared
with 13.1 in 1951, whilst the number of deaths declined from 686 to 669.
If it were possible for the populations of all areas to be similarly
constituted as regards the proportions of their sex and age components,
their crude death rates (deaths per 1,000 of population) could be accepted
as valid comparative measures of the mortalities experienced by the
populations# (Obviously Chelsea has a far greater number of residents
aged 65 years and over than, for example, Crawley or Harlow, whilst the
latter towns will be mainly populated by persons of the lower age groups).
In practice, however, populations are not so constituted, and the
Registrar-General has therefore employed a factor known as the "Area
Comparability Factor" for each district. This provides for an adjustment