View report page

Causes of Death.
These are classified in Table 1 at the end of this Report
which shows that the five commonest causes were: Heart Disease 459
(28.46/6 of the total deaths), Cancer 265 (16.43%), Respiratory
Diseases 182 (11.28/0, Tuberculosis (all forms) 108 (6.69%),
Cerebral Haemorrhage 67 (4.15%
Maternal Mortality.
There were three deaths resulting from pregnancy and
childbirth giving a maternal mortality rate of 1.64 per 1,000 births.
Infant Mortality.
The causes of death of the 84 children who aiea before
attaining the age of one year were:-
Gastro-Enteritis & Diarrhoea 19
Premature Birth, Debility &
Marasmus 24
Bronchitis ana Pneumonia 17
Congenital Malformations 5
Atelectasis 6
Injury by birth 3
Syphilis 1
Convulsions 1
Tuberculous-Broncho-Pneumonia 1
Cancer 1
Other causes 5
Ill defined or not known 1
The Infant Mortality Rate was 47 per 1,000 births, which is
the lowest rate in the history of the Borough.
GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES.
Staff. There was no material change in the staff shown in my
Report for 1938 until the outbreak of the war when several
permanent members were seconded for Air Raid Precaution duties
and temporary staff was recruited to replace these members and
also those who had to join the Armed Forces.
Laboratory Facilities. The arrangements detailed in my
Report for 1938 continued until the outbreak of the war when,
owing to the evacuation of the Lister Institute for Preventive
Medicine, arrangements were maue with Dr. Guy Bousfield of the
Camberwell Research Laboratories to examine specimens when our
own Laboratory was closea, During the year 3,142 specimens
were examinee, at our own Dispensary, 25 by Dr. Bousfielct, and
591 by the Lister Institute.
Nursing in the Home. The Fulham District Nursing Association
has continued to carry out this worK on behalf of the Council
and during the year paid 6,606 visits to 589 cases.
Clinic and Treatment Centres. During the first eight months
of the year the clinics enumerated in my Report for 1938 were
all open but on the outbreak of the war the Infant Welfare Clinics
were closed and a combined clinic, open every day of the week,
was established at the premises of the evacuated Day Nursery; the
Diphtheria Immunisation, Dental and Sunlight clinics were closed.
In December the Sunlight clinic was re-opened but the other
clinics remained closed until the end of the year. The Tuberculosis
Dispensary did not. close, although for a few weeks at the
outbreak of the war its work was curtailed as the ground floor of
the premises was used as a Depot for Stretcher Bearers.
4