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6
PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT,
TOWN HALL, GREENWICH, S.E.10.
To The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors,
Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present the Annual Report on the health
and environmental circumstances of Greenwich for 1959.
There has been a slight decrease in population and births ; at
the same time deaths have decreased by 38 and still births by 4.
There is a small increase in the infantile mortality rate as compared
with last year and this is accounted for entirely by a sharp increase
in the deaths of illegitimate babies. There was no change in the
neo-natal death rate and the peri-natal rate (still births and deaths
within the first week of life), declined by 7. There was one maternal
death and one cannot help reflecting that even the comparatively
small number of maternal deaths could be reduced still further by
closer ante-natal care.
In considering causes of death one must note the increase in
deaths due to pulmonary tuberculosis. This is not a local but a
national trend and may be due to the increasing resistance of the
tubercle bacillus to modern chemo-therapeutic drugs. It is not without
significance that while total notifications dropped to an all time
low, the death rate rose. The final phase in the eradication of pulmonary
tuberculosis has begun but until the problems of drug
resistance and the latent pool of residual infection in the community
are solved, tuberculosis will continue to smoulder for many decades.
The infected immigrant and the grossly infectious patient, resolute
in refusing treatment, present grave difficulties to health departments
and chest clinics especially when in close contact with susceptible
groups.
Once again I include a report of the Mass Miniature Radiography
Unit in Greenwich kindly supplied by the Director, Dr. J. M.
Morgan, and I am grateful for a contribution from the Chest
Physicians, Drs. Forgacs and Wraith.
There were 50 deaths from cancer of the lung and bronchus, an
increase of 6 over last year. Despite the most sober and authoritative
warnings about the direct connection between lung cancer and
heavy smoking there is no evidence that the general public are
smoking less. Indeed, the contrary is true and judging by the
barrage of propaganda to which we are subjected in the press and on
commercial television by the tobacco manufacturers it is not sur-