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7
Public Health Office,
Bow Road, E.3.
18th April, 1932.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to submit my Report upon the health of the Metropolitan
Borough of Poplar for the year 1931.
Statistics.—In the Preliminary Report of the Census of 1931 issued
by the Registrar-General the population of the Borough is given as
155,083, a decrease of 7,495 or 4.6 per cent. on the figure for 1921. The
Registrar-General's estimated population for the year 1931 is 156,300,
and on this figure all rates per 1,000 of the population are calculated.
The only rates which have varied to any extent from those of the
previous year are the birth-rate and the notification of infectious disease
rate, which were 17.5 and 18.9 respectively.
Infectious Disease.—Beyond a slight rise in the incidence of Pneumonia
and a substantial decrease in the notifications of Smallpox, Diphtheria
and Scarlet Fever, there is nothing of special interest to record.
Housing and Overcrowding.—During the year considerable progress
was made. The Council proceeded with two "Clearance" areas and
others are receiving consideration. Preliminary investigations of two
of these latter areas were completed by officers of this Department. A
summary of this work is given in Section IV of this Report. A good deal
of time has been spent in investigating complaints and endeavouring
either to abate the nuisance or mitigate the conditions arising from
overcrowding.
Maternity and Child Welfare.—The attendances at Clinics (both the
Councils' and those of the Royal College of St. Katharine) continue to
increase, and this is particularly noticeable in the "toddler" class of
children.