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To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Metropolitan Borough
of Lewisham.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I submit herewith my report for the health department for the year
1951.
Introduction
The RegistrarGeneral's estimate of the population in mid year
1951 at 227,200 was 1,100 less than his estimate for mid year 1950, but
since the former estimate was made the census was taken, in April,
1951, and the preliminary report indicates that the figure then was
227,551. The present figure includes members of the armed forces
stationed in the area. The prewar estimated total population, in
June, 1939, was 231,000. The birth rate for the year at 15.3 is the same
as for the previous year, being well below the immediate postwar
figures. The death rate again shows an increase, from 10.6 to 11.2,
but as the rate for the county of London increased from 11.8 to 13.1
the increase in the local rate was not so great. The infant mortality rate
at 25 showed a drop of 1 from the previous year ; the neonatal rate
(i.e., under one month of age) decreasing from 19 to 17 while the one
month to one year rate increased from 7 to 8. The stillbirth rate
increased slightly, from 14.7 to 16.1, but this is still reasonably
satisfactory ; the combined stillbirth and infant death rate therefore
remain approximately the same. One maternal death occurred during
the year, giving a maternal mortality rate per thousand live and
stillbirths of 03. The various comparative figures since 1901 are
shown on page 17 (table 10).
Tuberculosis
The number of new notifications dropped from 406 to 299, showing
a decrease in the notification rate per thousand population from
1.8 to 1.3. The number of deaths from tuberculosis also showed a slight
but welcome reduction from 72 to 68. As indicated in section F of
the report (the infectious disease section) there is much better news
of tuberculosis generally and it seems that the various methods of
dealing with it, increased and improved as they have been over recent
years, are now showing a definite effect, which might well prove to be
a rapidly increasing effect year by year.
Maternity and child welfare
There was very little variation in the principal rates but the
neonatal rate did (as indicated in the last but one paragraph) decrease
from 19 to 17. This rate is still high, and the drop in the rate for the
age of one month to one year has left it far behind. The neonatal
rates from 1921 to 1926 were respectively 23, 26, 20, 23, 23 and 18, so
rates last year of 17 and of 19 the year before do not show that there
has been much improvement during the 25 or so years' interval. An
analysis of the neonatal deaths indicates that 10 of the 59 were due
to congenital deformities, 8 (against 5 last year) to injury at birth
and 21 (against 28 last year) to prematurity or immaturity.