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4
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present my Annual Report for 1953 on
the work of the Public Health Department.
I am again able to report that the general health of the community
has remained good and that there was no serious outbreak of any
infectious disease.
There was a slight fall in the Birth Rate from 19.1 in 1952 to
18.9 which is, however, still above the rate of 15.5 for England and
Wales and 17.5 for London.
The Borough was fortunate to have during 1953 a crude Death
Rate of only 9.9. This is the lowest Death Rate ever recorded here
and well below the previous record of 11.7 in 1950. It is also well
below the rate of 11.4 for the whole country and 12.5 for London.
The pleasing record of 16.2 in 1952 in regard to Infant Mortality
was not maintained though the rate remained at 22.2.
I regret also to state that there were 3 deaths among illegitimate
infants.
I have analysed the deaths in greater detail on this occasion and
have shewn that deaths from fascular lesions of the central nervous
system (i.e., the various forms of apoplexy) and from diseases of the
heart (other than coronary) were much fewer than might be expected
from the national rates, but that those from cancer of the lung and
coronary disease, two diseases which have increased in frequency
during the past few years, have been a somewhat more frequent cause
of death in Finsbury than elsewhere. But in particular, I feel I ought
to draw attention to the high death rate from Bronchitis especially
in women aged 65-74. As in addition the notification rate for
Pneumonia was 1.7 per 1,000 as against the national rate of 0.8,
it may well be that there are environmental factors which encourage
the development of respiratory diseases.