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experienced in this London Borough since its formation. The figure compares
with 19 in the previous year and with 18 the figure for England and Wales
in both 1970 and 1971. In particular, the neonatal mortality rate rose
from 15 per 1,000 live births in 1970 to 17 in 1971, and this was associated
with an increase in the still-birth rate from 11 per 1,000 live and
still-births to 12 per 1,000, which was similar to the rate for England
and Wales.
At a time when a great deal of consideration is being given to family
planning services, one has to record an increase during the year in the
percentage of all live births which were illegitimate, the figure rising
from 17 per cent to 19 per cent. The comparable figures for England and
Wales were 8.3 per cent and 8 per cent respectively. The deaths of
illegitimate infants under one year per 1,000 illegitimate live births
fell from 30 in 1970 to 23 in 1971.
The general death rate rose slightly in 1971 from 13.4 per 1,000 home
population in 1970 to 14. These figures compare with national figures
of 11.7 and 11.6 respectively.
SMOKING;
The report of the Royal College of Physicians which was published in
1972, once again drew attention to the important role of smoking as a
cause of mortality and morbidity. In this context the following quotations
from the preface of previous Hammersmith Annual Reports are
relevant:-
1965: "Whereas fourteen persons died of pulmonary tuberculosis some
one hundred and seventy-seven deaths were attributable to
cancer of the lung and bronchus. Quite apart from mortality
of this order the "Tobacco diseases", as Dr. Stradling calls
them, undoubtedly give rise to a great deal of morbidity."
1966: "The number of deaths from cancer of the lung and bronchus
rose from 177 in 1965 to 203 in 1966, indicating that Hammersmith
is sharing in the national upward trend of deaths from this
condition. It is indeed a tragedy that, at a time when the
Council's activities in smoke control are having a beneficial
effect on the air in Hammersmith, figures of this order should
result from the adverse atmosphere which so may people create
in their lungs by smoking cigarettes.
Dr. Stradling in the Annual Report of the Hammersmith Chest Clinic
draws attention to the fact that during 1966 the number of newpatients
suffering lung cancer exceeded for the first time
those suffering from tuberculosis."
1967: "On the Environmental Health side it is most gratifying that the
work in connection with the last Smoke Order was completed on
1st June, 1967, so that the London Borough of Hammersmith
became the first London Borough to be an entirely Smoke Control
area. In addition, a great deal of attention was given to
industrial smoke emissions. The benefits to health which are
derived from clean air are well known. An even more significant
health dividend would be obtained if the amount of smoke inhaled
by many people in Hammersmith was restricted by a substantial
reduction in cigarette consumption."
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