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3
Public Health Department,
Lambeth Town Hall,
Brixton Hill, S.W. 2.
March, 1925.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Again it is my privilege to be able to report most satisfactory
statistics (vital and mortal) for the Borough for the year 1924,
representing a great saving of life and illness, as a reward for the
activities of the Council as a Health Authority, and as a justification
for the money that has been expended out of the Rates—a maximum
of good for a minimum of expenditure.
The Registrar-General's estimated Lambeth population for (924
(middle of the year) is 309,300, and, upon this basis, the various
general and zymotic special death-rates are low, and correspondingly,
a credit to the Borough, as is also the infantile mortality rate, which
is expressed in terms of the total deaths of infants under 1 year of age
per 1,000 births registered (not per 1,000 estimated population). The
statistics for children under 5 years of age can only be described as
remarkable in regard to lessened mortality—a result that was to be
anticipated in view of the great decrease in the infantile mortality rate
that has been registered during the last 25 years, even after making
due allowance for the declining birth-rate. The Maternity and Child
Welfare Scheme, the Milk Assistance Scheme, the Nursing (Inlectious
Diseases) Scheme and the Municipal Milk Depot have contributed to
this satisfactory result.
Tuberculosis is gradually, though slowly declining, whilst typhoid
lever is, practically, a disease of the past.
I have now had the honour of presiding as Medical Officer of
Health, over the Health of the present Borough and the late Parish of
Lambeth for 30 years, having been appointed to that responsible office
on June 27th, 1895, and the changes that I have seen, during that
period, have been so much for the betterment of sanitary conditions
that I feel justified in taking credit to myself as Medical Officer of
Health, to be shared by the whole Public Health Staff as the working
officials, and by the Council as the Sanitary Authority. Without the
sympathy and support of the Council, and the energy and loyalty of
the official Staff, my work as Medical Officer of Health could not
possibly have achieved such results as are shown and proved, by the
following statistics, extending over a period of 30 years :—