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6
Public Health Department,
Town Hall, S.E.10
June, 1950
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors,
Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to present this, my first Annual Report on the
state of the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich for
1949.
Dr. Waldron, my predecessor in this office, acted in a parttime
capacity until June 6th, when I took up my appointment. I
extend to him my thanks and good wishes.
The population continues to increase and is approaching prewar
level.
The birth rate shows a slight decrease and the death rate a slight
increase from last year, but both compare favourably with the
National rates.
The Infantile Mortality rate of 24 per 1,000 live births is the
lowest ever recorded in the history of the Borough and is most
gratifying.
Generally speaking, Infectious Diseases still decline. Scarlet
fever, however, increased slightly from 73 notifications in 1948 to
128 this year, but the disease was mild in character.
Whooping Cough has declined from 385 to 194. How much this
decline is due to immunisation is as yet difficult to assess, but it is
pleasing to note that Diphtheria is now practically non-existent in
Greenwich—there were only two cases last year as opposed to 9 in
1948.
Pulmonary Tuberculosis has increased from 109 to 117 and it
is interesting to note that a high proportion of cases are notified
from the Kidbrooke area where the L.C.C. are giving high priority
to the rehousing of tuberculous families. This raises the question
of the wisdom of housing healthy families in close proximity to
tuberculous cases, especially where there are young children, and
to my mind the practice is not without some danger.
This year saw a sharp rise throughout the country in the incidence
of Infantile Paralysis. Fortunately, in Greenwich we had
only 4 confirmed cases. In 1948 we had 5 and in 1947, which was
an epidemic year, there were 16.