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(6)
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury.
I have the honour to present my first Annual Report of the work of the
Public Health Department since my return from military service. For the major
part of this period I was engaged as a Public Health Officer in the Allied
Military Government of Italy, finally occupying the position of Chief Public
Health Officer of the disputed territories of Trieste and Venezia Guilia. I
returned to duty in May, 1946.
I feel that it would be a presumption on my part to comment on the
vary satisfactory way in which Dr. Stowart carried out my dutios during my
absence, which wore acknowledged by the Council at the time of his resignation,
but I can at least refer to the very friendly manner in which he co-operated
with me in regard to the taking over and the handing back of the responsibilities
and it was with very great regret that I lost his services as deputy
towards the end of the year, when he was appointed to the post of Medical
Officer of Health of Paddington. Dr. Thompson was appointed by the Council
as his successor and took ovor duties on the 1st November.
The death of Dr. Lomas who had been associated with the Maternity
and Child Wolfare section of the department for many years occurrod during
the summer and was felt by all as a great loss.
Mr. Capps resigned from the office of Vaccination Officer which ho had
held conjointly with a similar appointment from Holborn for many years, at
first under the Board of Guardians and later under the Borough Councils. We
have all wished him much felicity in his retirement.
During the year nearly all the staff who had served with His
Majesty's Forces returned again to civilian duties in tho department.
The year has been mainly characterized by the beginning of
reconstruction after wartime conditions in the face of continuing difficulties
in regard to procurement of staff and materials.
The birth rate rose very considerably in Finsbury, as in other
places, from 12 per 1,000 in 1939 and about 16 per 1,000 in the immediately
preceding years, to a figure of over 20. The death rate, which in 1939 was
under 14, and which during the war years had reached a figure as high as
nearly 20 in 1944, dropped to 15.6. Too much significance should, however,
not be attached to these figures because no standardization has been possible
to make allowance for the undoubtedly higher average age of the population.
The infant mortality rate hat: remained about constant in the last
three or four years and the fall experienced in other areas was unfortunately
not experienced in this Borough. The main cause of infant mortality has been
prematurity. The still birth rate 1 increased from an average
figure of rather under 3 to 3.6% of total births.
Infectious disease presented no serious features during the year.
There were no deaths from Diphtheria and the death rate from Tuberculosis
dropped to below 1 per 1,000 for the first time since 1939.