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7
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
High Holborn, W.C.I.
September, 1962.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Holborn,
Your Worship, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The preliminary report on the census shows the population of the borough as 21,596.
Thus during the last ten years, the number of Holborn residents has decreased by 13%.
At the same time the redevelopment of commercial premises has continued to augment
the amount of office accommodation in the borough. Consequently the daytime population,
whose numbers are not exactly known, must be assumed to have increased. The
Offices Act, 1961 enabled the Home Secretary to make regulations for the better provision
for health, welfare and safety in offices. So far no regulations have been made, and
we have few powers to regulate the conditions under which a great number of people work.
The birth and death rates recorded in this report differ little from those of recent
years. Statistics culled from such a relatively small population as that of Holborn are
subject to chance fluctuations and must be interpreted with caution. The reduction to
five in the number of deaths from lung cancer is one such chance occurrence. Diseases
of the heart and circulatory system, particularly coronary disease, continue to be the
commonest causes of death. The mortality from lung cancer however, is particularly
regrettable since much of it is attributable to cigarette smoking, which was until recently
regarded as an innocent pleasure.
In spite of the speed and density of traffic in the borough only one Holborn resident
died as a result of a motor accident. There were three deaths from accidents in the home,
one from barbiturate poisoning, one from coal gas poisoning, and one by electrocution.
As was to be expected there were many cases of measles during the year. Nowadays
this disease does not constitute a very serious threat to the lives of healthy children in
this country and only in exceptional circumstances is it deemed necessary to offer specific
protection against it.
Towards the end of the year an epidemic of German measles began. This is a mild
illness which is not notifiable and the exact extent of the epidemic is therefore unknown.
However it has become common knowledge that women who suffer this complaint during
the first three months of pregnancy run an increased risk of bearing a deformed child.
Accordingly many requests for advice were received.
Twenty-three new cases of tuberculosis were notified during the year. This is a considerable
reduction from the figures for years gone by, but there is no ground for complacency.
Four of the patients were domestic servants, three were engaged in the catering
trade and two were nurses. By the nature of their occupation, people in these groups
merit special supervision and protection. In recognition of this, the Mass X-Ray Unit
of the North-West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board organised a special survey
of the employees in the hotel and catering trades to be carried out early in 1962.
Only one case of poliomyelitis was notified. We have reason to be cautiously
optimistic about the control of this disease, the more so since oral (Sabin type) vaccine is
now available.
There was no serious outbreak of dysentery, nor of food poisoning during the year,
but the number of notified cases, almost certainly under-estimates the true incidence
of these diseases.
Once again there was no case of diphtheria.
During the whole of the year there was a vacancy in the establishment of public health
inspectors, and as a result the routine inspection of premises in the borough was somewhat
curtailed. Routine inspections are unexciting and often apparently unproductive,