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VI
The health of the city has remained satisfactory throughout 1928.
The birth-rate has risen from 10.0 to 10.3 per 1,000, and although the
estimated population has fallen, the actual number of births has scarcely
diminished. The infantile death-rate has fallen from 68.6 to 58.39
per 1,000 births ; that for legitimate children showing a decrease of 11.3
on last year's figure.
The general death-rate has only decreased 0.8 per 1,000. In view
of the considerably fewer deaths, 1,497, as compared with l,682 in 1927,
this rate of decrease should be greater, but is neutralised by the reduction
in population as estimated by the Registrar-General, 136,500 to 129,700.
This reduction is necessarily somewhat conjectural. The incidence and
death-rate from tuberculosis has again fallen from 83.5 to 83.2 per
100,000.
Unfortunately, as if to emphasize the gravity of the problem which
is being generally discussed, the deaths of women in childbed have increased
from 5.7 to 12.4 per 1,000 births. As a contribution to preventive
effort towards solving this serious problem the City Council has arranged
with Westminster Hospital to admit for confinement women recommended
from the four Maternity and Child Welfare Centres in the city. This scheme
is discussed in detail in this report. With regard to infectious diseases,
only two cases of the mild type of Small-pox occurred ; Diphtheria, Scarlet
Fever and Measles showed an increase on the figures of last year, whilst
Whooping Cough and Pneumonia generally showed an appreciable decrease.
In no sense was there any semblance of an outbreak of infectious disease
even in the districts which were subjected to the unpleasant after-effects
of the flood.
Food Administration.—Additional duties were imposed owing to the
coming into force of the Merchandise Marks Acts and the Agricultural
Produce (Grading and Marking) Act. The proportion of adulterated
samples was 1.7 per cent.
Housing.—A considerable amount of space is devoted to this aspect
of public health work. The numbers of hard cases which the staff of
the Medical Olficer of Health has to investigate continue to increase,
but it is hoped, that when the comprehensive policy of the Council is
fully developed, the majority of those cases living in overcrowded or other
insanitary conditions will be relieved. It should be noted that when
schemes in hand are completed the Council will have provided almost
1,000 dwellings since the war.
A matter which is causing constant anxiety and which may require
further consideration is the issue of dangerous structure notices on
old dwelling houses. Whilst no one doubts the expert judgment of