View report page

Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour, Mr. Mayor, to present to you my annual report on the
Health of the Metropolitan Borough of Pinsbury for the year 1964.
This takes a shorter form than usual as for 1963 I prepared a comprehensive
report being the last occasion on which the Pinsbury Borough
Council would be in a position to consider it.
The general health of the inhabitants remained good throughout the
year, which was not marred by the incidence of any unusual outbreak of
disease of any kind. For the fourth year in succession there were no cases
of Poliomyelitis.
There was a very slight rise in the birth rate to 15.5 but this is still
below the national rate. The illegitimate birth rate has remained rather high
at 8.3 per cent of the births.
There was a happy fall in the death rate to 10.8 which is below the
rate for England and Wales. This fall was due to there having been 302
instead of 389 deaths as in 1963. The drop in this number being accounted
for by fewer from all the main individual causes (including Cancer of the
Lung and Coronary disease) except accidents and suicide from which there
were about the same number.
Unfortunately there were 2 maternal deaths, both from complications
arising during pregnancy.
It is also my duty to state that there were rather more infant deaths,
nearly all under 4 weeks, and the infant mortality rate rose to 23.0 after a
phenomenally low figure in 1963.
In general the work continued progressively but as the year advanced it
was overshadowed to some extent by the uncertainties in regard to the
amalgamation of the Borough with that of Islington.
The work on behalf of the elderly by the Council, and the Finsbury
Old People's Welfare Committee continued to attract National and
International interest. A branch workshop was opened in a reconditioned room
in Lever Street. Many of the responsibilities in connection with the workshops,
the holiday scheme and the meal services were assumed by the
Council on 1st April.
Finally, I should like to thank the Worshipful the Mayor and the
Chairman, Vice-Chairman and members of the Health Committee, as well as
all members of the Council of the former Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury,
together with all my staff for their continued sympathetic support and help
during the year.
I have the honour to be,
Your obedient servant,
C.O.S. Blyth Brooke,
Former Medical Officer of Health, Finsbury.
4