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4
Public Health Department,
Lambeth Town Hall,
Brixton Hill, S.W. 2
March, 1926.
To the May or, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Again it is ray privilege to be able to report most satisfactory
statistics (vital and mortal) for the Borough for the year 1925,
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 1925
(middle of the year) is 311,100, and, upon this basis, the various
general and zymotic and special death-rates are low, and correspondingly,
a credit to the Borough, as is also the infantile mortality rate, which,
however, is expressed in terms of the total corrected deaths of infants
under 1 year of age per 1,000 uncorrected births registered (not per
1,000 estimated population, as are the general, zymotic and special
death-rates). 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 work of the old Parish and the new Borough (work
hat is now co-ordinated and amalgamated under the newly instituted
(1918) Welfare Scheme), the Milk Assistance Scheme, the Nursing
(Infectious Diseases) Scheme and the Municipal Milk Depot have
contributed to this satisfactory result.
Tuberculosis is gradually, though slowly, declining, whilst typhoid
fever is, practically, a disease of the past, as is also typhus fever.
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, as stated also in the last year's Annual Report
of the Medical Officer of Health, 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:—