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7
Public Health Office,
Bow Road, E.3.
May, 1934.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to sumbit my Report upon the health of the Metropolitan
Borough of Poplar for the year 1933.
Statistics.—The Registrar-General's estimate of the population of
the Borough is 149,300 (3,100 less than in the previous year) and on this
figure al1 rates per 1,000 of the population are calculated.
The birth rate (15.4) is lower and the death rate (12.4) is slightly
higher than the corresponding rates for the year 1932. The infantile
moratalityrate (54) is the lowest ever recorded in the Borough.
Infectious Disease.—The number of cases of Scarlet Fever shows a
definite increase over the figure for 1932, but the ' 'cyclic rise'' was not
so great as anticipated. The disease was of a mild type. There was a
slight rise in the number of cases of Diphtheria.
Housing and Work of the District Inspectors.—It may be noted here
that a considerable amount of work was done during the year in connection
with housing "areas.'' The time taken in house-to-house inspections
and in preparing statements concerning "areas" which were the subjects
of enquiries early in 1934, necessarily affected the amount of routine
district work done and accounts for the somewhat smaller figures shown
in the table facing page 24, as compared with the figures for the previous
year.
Malnutrition.—The question of nutrition has received the attention
of your Clinic Medical Officers during the year. No cases of severe
malnutrition have been brought to my notice.
It is difficult in the absence of definite criteria to make any precise
statement as to the extent of minor degrees of malnutrition. The problem
is so complex and so many factors are involved that its study is beyond
the scope of routine Maternity and Child Welfare Clinic work.