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7
Over the country as a whole it has been found that for certain causes,
particularly stillbirths and infant deaths, the rates vary greatly according
to social class, and in the report of the Biological and Medical committee
for the Royal Commission on Population (published in 1950) it was
shown that for 1939 the stillbirth rate increased from 24 for social class I
to 40 for social class V, and the death rate of infants (from one month
to the end of the first year) increased similarly from 8 to 30. It is by
such analyses as this that the exact causes of suffering and death may
sometimes be shown and this helps to suggest appropriate ways of
overcoming such difficulties. It is hoped in future years to compare
Lewisham with other towns in the country of approximately the same
population, and further details with regard to this are also published in
section A of the report.
Divisional statistics
In the last report many of the figures were for the first time
analysed into the parliamentary divisions of the borough, namely,
West Lewisham, North Lewisham and South Lewisham. All three are
of roughly equal population although considerably different in other
ways. For example, the south division consists in large part of two
very big LCC estates and contains many less shops and much less
old property than do either of the other two divisions. A map was
shown on pages 8 and 9 of last year's report to indicate the principal
boundaries of the divisions. As an indication of the way in which
infectious diseases can differ in the three divisions a graph is printed on
page 66, showing the incidence of scarlet fever in west, north and south
Lewisham separately. It shows that the greatest incidence was in the
west division and particularly so in the first half of the year. After
that time the west division had rather less cases than the others.
In ending the introduction to this report I wish to express my thanks
to the health department staff for their work during the year. In
June, Mr. C. E. Holifield, the senior sanitary inspector, retired on
reaching the age limit. This followed the retirement only three years
previously of Mr. C. C. Summers, the chief clerk of the department.
Mr. Holifield and Mr. Summers had devoted almost all their working
life to the service of the borough ; Mr. Holifield having been an officer
of the Council since 1914 and Mr. Summers since 1905. During their
time here they saw very considerable alterations in the character of the
borough and in its populatioh and in the problems arising therefrom,
and their own work and energy had a definite influence on the way in
which the health services of the borough developed to deal with the
new problems which appeared. The best wishes of the Council and
of the staff were expressed to them on their retirement.