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METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF CHELSEA.
TELEPHONE: Public Health Department,
FLAxman 8101 Town Hall,
King's Road,
CHELSEA, S.W.3.
July, 1964.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea.
My Lord, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have much pleasure in presenting my Annual Report on the health
and environmental circumstances of the Borough of Chelsea for the
year 1963.
The home population of the Borough at mid-year was estimated by
the Registrar-General to be 48,050, compared with 48,550 in 1962, a
decrease of 500. Since 1950 the population has decreased by 4,440.
622 live births (males 322: females 300) were recorded, 3 fewer
than in 1962 (625), representing a crude birth rate of 12.9 per 1,000 of
the estimated population, and after applying the area comparability
factor (0.73) the adjusted birth rate was 9.4, compared with 18.2 for
England and Wales as a whole. Illegitimate live births numbered 75 or
12.1 per cent of the total live births registered, 2 less than in 1962
when 77 (12.3%) were recorded. Still births totalled 14, an increase of
3 on the previous year's figure (11), giving a rate of 22.0 per 1,000 live
and still births. The rate for England and Wales was 17.3.
Deaths at all ages numbered 791 (males 341: females 450), 83 more
than in the preceding year (708), indicating a crude death rate of 16.5
per 1,000 of the estimated population, and the adjusted rate after employing
the area comparability factor (0.72) was 11.9, compared with 12.2 for
England and Wales. The main causes of death continued to be heart disease
260 (32.9%); cancer (all forms) 137 (17.3%)} pneumonia and bronchitis
116 (l4.7%); and vascular lesions of the nervous system 104 (13.1%).
Diseases of the heart and cancer combined accounted for 397 deaths which
represents 50.2% of the total deaths registered. It is regretted that
there were 12 suicides during the year, compared with 11 in 1962, which is
1.5% of all causes of death, and 58.0% of the persons who ended their
lives were within the 20 and under 45 age group. Tuberculosis caused 3
deaths (2 respiratory and 1 non-respiratory), as against 4 deaths in the
previous year. The number of deaths from cancer of the lung and bronchus
was recorded as 31 (males 23: females 8), 1 less than in 1962. Almost
50% died between the ages of 35 and 65 confirming once again to the
sceptics that this disease is not purely a terminal one in old age.