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IX
Annual Report on the Health and Sanitary
Condition of the City of Westminster.
19 3 7.
Mr. Mayor, My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to submit my annual report on the health and sanitary conditions of the
City during 1937, included in which is an account of the work of your Public Health
Department. The report is drawn up in accordance with Circular 1657 of the Minister
of Health and includes information on the particular matters required by the Minister.
Vital Statistic.
The birth rate, 8.2 per thousand, shows a decrease of .3 on that of last year.
There were 1,021 births, compared with 1,063 for the previous year and 1,042 in 1935.
The death rate at 11.5 is less than last year and may be partially accounted for by a
greater survival of infants, there being 60 deaths as compared with 70 in 1936.
Infectious Disease.
In contrast to 1936 measles did not predominate, only 106 cases occurring ; last
year they numbered 590. The mortality was nil. The Minister is shortly bringing
into force an order for London making measles and whooping cough compulsorily
notifiable. The main object is not to achieve isolation, as both diseases are probably
most infectious before their characteristic symptoms are manifest; it is to secure at
an earlier stage medical and nursing facilities for cases among the poorer families and
thus to prevent such dangerous conditions as broncho-pneumonia which not infrequently
complicate measles among the very young. There were 258 cases of scarlet
fever and no deaths. As regards diphtheria, among 133 cases 2 died, whereas there
were 82 cases in the previous year and 4 deaths. Enteric fever in its various forms
increased from 12 to 16 cases but none died. It will be remembered that about the
time of the Croydon outbreak there was an unusual number of enteric cases in the
country generally and much public apprehension. Mumps and whooping cough
showed a decrease but there were four deaths from the latter cause.
Maternity and Child Welfare.
The outstanding event of the year was the opening by Her Majesty, Queen
Elizabeth, of the building which contains the new maternity and child welfare centre
and day nursery in Bessborough Street, on November 25th.
Her gracious Majesty, who was received by the Right Worshipful the Mayor,
Councillor H. S. E. Vanderpant, J.P., the Deputy Mayor, the Hon. Arthur Howard,
C.V.O., D.L., and the Chairman of the Public Health and Maternity and Child Welfare
Committee, Councillor G. F. Jerdein, opened the building with these words :—
" It gives me great pleasure to come here to-day to open this new centre
and day nursery. I am particularly glad to pay this visit during the year of
our Coronation, and in view of the many years during which our home has been
within the boundaries of Westminster. I understand that this building has
been designed by the Westminster City Council in collaboration with the Westminster
Day Nursery, thus happily combining municipal and voluntary effort
under one roof. From what the Mayor has told us, it is quite clear that great
foresight has been shown in planning it for the various purposes it has to fulfil.
There is one feature which specially appeals to me. That is the night nursery