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4
METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF FULHAM
PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT,
TOWN HALL, FULHAM. S. W. 6.
July, 1958.
To: The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Fulham
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present to you the annual report on the health and sanitary
circumstances of the Borough for the year 1957, together with the report of your Public
Analyst T. McLachlan, Esq , A. C. G. F. C., P.R. I.C.
Statistics
The statistics indicate the continuance of a state of good health and conditions
in Fulham.
There is a rise in the birth rate for the year, i e 15 39 compared with 14 82 in
1956, the natural increase of population being 505.
The death rate (11 04) is lower than the 1956 figure (11,31).
Diseases of the heart and cardio-vascular system account for the highest number of
deaths, viz. 376.
Deaths from all forms of cancer show a considerable decrease, 236 compared to
269 in 1956.
Deaths due to accidents (excluding motor accidents) and suicides were 42 compared
to 46 in the previous year.
There is a slight rise in the tuberculosis death rate compared with last year
(19 8 this year 18 8 last year).
I regret to report one maternal death during the year giving a rate of 55 per
100, 000.
The Registrar General s estimate of the mid year population of Fulham was 116 200
- a decrease of 900 in the estimated figure for 1956 i. e. 117,100 It is interesting
to note that this fall in population coincides with an increase of 3 252 separate
dwellings in the Borough. Any tendency which denotes a greater spread of population
in so far as it reduces overcrowding is most welcome from a health point of view
Infectious Diseases
With the exception of the periodic increase of measles notifications which were
1,531 for the year, I am pleased to report a low incidence of infection generally.
There was no outbreak of serious infection Apart from the deaths from tuberculosis,
only one other death occurred from infection and this was due to a meningococcal
infection There was no case of either diphtheria or typhoid Sonne dysentery was
mild and somewhat intractable There were six confirmed cases of poliomyelitis. The
number of food poisoning notifications was 18 This figure does not give a true
indication of the incidence of the disease which is greater than the number of
notifications would convey.