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CANonbury 3388 Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Islington, N. 1.
TO THE MAYOR ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS
OF THE METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF ISLINGTON
In presenting the Annual Report for 1961, I also have the honour of presenting my
twenty-first Report as Medical Officer of Health of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington.
Changes in the health conditions and sanitary circumstances in the Borough over the past
generation have been very considerable in many directions nevertheless it remains the case
that most improvements in the field of prevention are slower-moving and have to be viewed
over a longer period than some of the changes which may be dramatic in the field of curative
medicine
1961 was also Census year and at the time of this Report only total population figures
were available, which have been given in this Report, The Census population, 228,833, was
rather larger than would have been anticipated from the previous estimates made by the
Registrar General. It can be presumed that local immigration might account for this result
but the detailed breakdown of the Census figures which, it is anticipated, will become
available some time in late 1962 should provide some interesting and necessary information
not only in regard to population changes which have taken place since 1951, but in some
degree to housing changes also
The Islington birth-rate for the year has exceeded the "bulge " year of 1947 The
relatively high birth-rate, therefore must be taken into consideration as a long term
factor and not be regarded as a temporary difficult passing phase. Vital statistics, which
are measurements of the health status of the Borough compare favourably with most other
districts but there are some grey, if not exactly black spots, Health risks affecting very
young children are relatively low especially considering the congested housing conditions
in which a large number of infants in the Borough must be reared The favourable results
can be taken as an indication of careful mothering under adverse circumstances, to which
advice given through the Local Health Authority Child Welfare centres and by the Family
Practioners and Hospitals make a major contribution The maternal deaths, however, for the
year were in excess of the average and the analysis of the deaths given in the Report shows
that five of the total of seven were probably due to induced abortions. It is apparent that
the risks of such procedures are still not appreciated as they should be, or the risks are
ignored under great emotional stress
Islington is also an area where the proportion of deaths due to pneumonia and
bronchitis is on the high side In view of the direct association of these forms of
respiratory illness with atmospheric pollution progress with Smoke Control Areas is
important This is referred to later. There is also a higher than average proportion of
deaths due to cancer of the lung and bronchus in Islington. Deaths from this cause were
slightly less in 1961, than in the previous year, but it is too early to say yet that the
regular increase over the post-war years has now been reversed, If there had been 170 deaths
in one year due to typhoid fever, or poliomyelitis or smallpox, there would quite rightly
have been great public concern and activity The public still do not appear to realise that
lung cancer is also a preventable disease On existing medical evidence approximately 90 per
cent, of the 170 lung cancer deaths need not have occurred and this proportion, of course,
is true of the country generally Also, lung cancer causes illness and mortality to this
extent regularly every year, and not only in occasional outbreaks as would be expected with
most infectious diseases Prevention, however, in this case is not dependent upon
immunisation or vaccination given by doctors; it is preventable only by the personal
decision of individuals either never to begin to smoke or to give up smoking.
The Report also contains (page 11), for the first time an analysis of the deaths due
to coronary disease of the heart. It will be seen from the table the increase in recent
years in men from middle age onwards and to a lesser extent in more elderly women is apparent