View report page

- 5 -
Infant deaths under one year of age totalled 11, as against 16
in the preceding year, representing an infant mortality rate of 17.7 per
1,000 live births, compared with 20.9 for England and Wales. 9 deaths
occurred before the age of one week indicating an early neo-natal mortality
rate of 14.5 per 1,000 total live births. The number of still
births registered was 14 which, added to the 9 deaths occurring in the
first week of life, gives a perinatal mortality rate of 36.2 per 1,000
total live and still births.
Unfortunately, one maternal death was recorded during the year,
the first to occur since 1954. The mother was 30 years of age and death
was attributed to peritonitis due to a septic abortion.
The total number of infectious disease cases notified during the
year was 454, compared with 151 in 1962, an increase of 303 cases. This
increase was due to the biennial recurrence of measles, 352 notifications
being received as against 63 during the previous year. Apart from the
increase in measles and a rise of 18 in the number of whooping cough cases
reported, the incidence of infectious disease in the Borough remained at
the same low level as in 1962. Two cases of imported typhoid fever were
notified, one of which was associated with the outbreak at Zermatt,
Switzerland, and a special reference to these cases appears in the final
section of the Report. It is most gratifying to report that for the first
time in twenty years no case of poliomyelitis was notified. 27 new cases
of tuberculosis were reported (22 respiratory and 5 non-respiratory),
compared with 26 cases during the previous year. 13 of the respiratory
cases concerned persons aged 20 and under 45 which represents 59.1% of all
new respiratory cases notified.
300 samples of food and drugs were submitted to Mr. Thomas McLachlan,
Public Analyst to this authority, for examination and report, and he advised
that in 13 instances (4.3%) adulterations had been found or special comment
was necessary. In all cases thorough investigations were pursued through
the producers and retailers concerned, and after consideration by the
Public Health and Baths Committee appropriate action was taken where necessary.
11 complaints were brought to the attention of the Inspectors
regarding the sale of unsatisfactory foods and in one case, which concerned
the sale of sliced bacon infested with maggots, successful legal proceedings
were instituted against the Company who had previously been found
guilty of a similar offence in 1961. Successful legal proceedings were
also instituted against a shop assistant who, despite repeated warnings,
continued to smoke cigarettes whilst handling open food contrary to the
Pood Hygiene (General) Regulations, 1960.
The routine work of the district Public Health Inspectors supervising
and advising on the environmental conditions within their districts
continued without incident during the year. Many of the day-to-day
problems dealt with, particularly those concerning alleged noise nuisances
and large modernisation and conversion schemes, have involved the Inspectors
in lengthy periods of observation and numerous site meetings with owners,
architects and builders. Thorough inspections were carried out to a
number of properties in West Chelsea under the provisions of the Housing
Act, 1961, to deal with their state of repair or to bring them to the