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METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF FULHAM
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Fulham, S.W.6.
September, 1948.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Fulham.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present the Annual Report on the
health of the Borough for the year 1947. On the instructions of
the Ministry of Health this report is again in an abbreviated form.
According to the Registrar General's estimate, the midyear
population of the borough was 122,280, which shows an increase
of 5410 over the estimated mid-year figure for the previous year.
The birth rate of 21.58 per 1,000 of the population is
very slightly increased, but the infantile mortality rate, 32.9 per
1,000 live births, shows a very considerable drop from that of the
figure for 1947, which was 39 Per 1,000 population, and is again
the lowest rate on record for the borough.
Statistical records indicate that the health of the borough
is maintained at a very satisfactory standard, and the year has been
a quiet one from the infectious disease standpoint, although Fulham
has experienced an outbreak of Poliomyelitis in common with the rest
of the country. The epidemic has been by far the largest ever
experienced in Great Britain, although outbreaks of this disease have
been common and widespread in North America, Scandinavia and
Australasia; whilst during the recent war years there have been
outbreaks in the islands of Malta, St. Helena and Mauritius.
The outbreak in Fulham, which commenced in June, rose to
its maximum severity in August and September, and subsided during
the following two months, was responsible for 27. notifications
(4 being fatal); but I feel that we have come off comparatively
lightly compared with some other areas in the country and in
London.
There have been numerous theories put forward to account
for the epidemic of Poliomyelitis, but the fact remains that in
spite of extensive research and case investigation, no definite
evidence has been deduced to show why the disease was so much more
prevalent in England in 1947 than ever before, or how infection was
spread.