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PREFACE.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Metropolitan
Borough of Lewisham.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present the Annual Report for the year
1933 on the health and sanitary condition of the Borough, this being
the thirty-third of the series.
A summary of the Vital Statistics is given on page five, from
which it will be seen that the corrected death-rate was 10.2 per
thousand of the population, exactly the same as in the past two years,
and again the lowest in all the Metropolitan Boroughs. 1 he
death-rate for the County of London was 12.5 per thousand.
The Infant Mortality rate was 39 per thousand live births, compared
with 54 per thousand in 1932. This is the lowest infant
mortality rate ever recorded in the Borough, and, with one exception,
the lowest among the Metropolitan Boroughs.
The declinc in the Birth-rate continues, and in the year under
review was 12.2 per thousand, compared with 12.7 in 1932.
The Death-rate from pulmonary tuberculosis was 0'64 per
thousand, compared with 0.59 in the previous year.
There was an increase in the incidence of Scarlet Fever and
Diphtheria, 1,129 cases of scarlet fever being notified, compared with
513 in 1932, and 354 cases of diphtheria, as against 228 in the
previous year. The increase in the prevalence of this disease was
general throughout the Metropolis.
During the year a survey of the Health Services of the Borough
was carried out by officials of the Ministry of Health. The Minister's
observations on this survey are set out in the Appendix to this Report.
It is a pleasure to again record my appreciation of the kind
consideration accorded me by the Chairman and Members of the
Public Health and Maternity and Child Welfare Committees, and
to thank my colleagues, the Chief Officers of Departments, and the
staff of the Public Health Department, for their loyal support and
assistance.
I am, Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
John W. Miller,
Town Hall, Medical Officer of Health.
Catford, S.E.6.