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2
To the Mayor, Alderman and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury
MR. MAYOR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
I have the honour to present my Annual report on the statr of the
Public Health in Finsbury for 1958 and again am able to say that
generally the health of the community has remained good, and that the
health conditions of the Borough have continued to improve.
I am somewhat disappointed that the birth rate has fallen from
18.2 (after standardisation) to 15.9 as against 16.4 for the whole
Country. On the other hand it is pleasing that the death rate has also
fallen; it was 10.1 as against the whole of England rate of 11.7. It
was particularly gratifying that the increase in deaths from Cancer of
the Lung and from Coronary Diseases has not persisted, and that the
figures for this year were approximately the same as for last year,
for the former, and shewed an appreciable fall for the latter.
I feel I ought to call attention to the high still birth rate this
year, the continued high death rate from Tuberculosis and especially
the large number of deaths from suicide. More happy was the fact that
there were no maternal deaths and no deaths of illegitimate children,
and that there were fewer accidental deaths.
At no time during the year had infectious diseases given rise to
any serious concern, in spite of a few mild cases of Diphtheria which
occurred in the Autumn The Hygienic conditions of the Borough and the
cleanliness in the handling of food continued to occupy the close
attention of the department, and further improvements took place.
The Council continued in its efforts to secure clean air for the
inhabitants and workers in the Borough to breathe, and provisional
approval was given by your Council to the inauguration of the first
Smoke Control area in the Borough.
The aged continued to be of special concern, and, as in previous
years, large numbers of visitors from other parts of the country and
from overseas came to see and discuss the services provided here.
Work was begun on the Galway Street Clearance Area to which I made
reference in my last annual report, and during this year proposals have
taken shape for a further major clearance area including King Square.