View report page

7
Accidental Deaths
During the year, 103 residents died from accidents of all kinds, including 26 motor vehicle accidents.
Births
The total of live births registered during the year was 3,952 (2,070 males; 1,882 females), giving a
live birth rate of 14.81 per 1,000 of population, equivalent to a standardized rate of 11.40, the comparable
figure for the County of London being 18.02 and for England and Wales 18.1.
Illegitimate live births numbered 735 (386 males; 349 females), representing 18.59 per cent. of the
total live births, compared with 10.79 per cent. for the County of London.
Stillbirths totalled 44, representing a rate of 11.01 per 1,000 total births, compared with 14.7 for
the County of London and 15.79 for England and Wales.
Infant Mortality
Deaths of infants under one year totalled 74 (58 legitimate; 16 illegitimate), giving a rate of 18.72
per 1,000 live births, the rate for England and Wales being 19.0 per 1,000 and for the County of London
18.31.
Details showing causes of death according to age group and sex are given in Table 2, page 54.
Of the 74 infant deaths, 60 were under four weeks old, giving a neo-natal mortality rate of 14.68
per 1,000 live births. The neo-natal mortality rate for England and Wales was 12.98, and for the
County of London 12.75. The early neo-natal mortality rate (deaths under one week per 1,000 total
live births) was 14.17 (England and Wales 11.28; County of London 11.22) and the peri-natal mortality
rate (stillbirths and deaths under one week combined per 1,000 total live and still births) was 25.03
(England and Wales 26.89; County of London 25.76).
Maternal Mortality
Three maternal deaths were reported during the year giving a death rate of 0.75 per 1,000 total
live and still births (England and Wales 0.25; County of London 0.38). The causes of death are shown
in Table 3, page 54.
INFECTIOUS AND OTHER NOTIFIABLE DISEASES
The incidence of infectious disease in the City has in general been low—a total of 1,186 notifications
(excluding tuberculosis) being received during the year. Of this number, measles accounted for 865
and puerperal pyrexia 131. Tables 4 and 5, pages 55 and 56, give details of notifications received and
the age groups concerned.
Measles
Measles continued to follow the well established pattern, 1965 being a non-epidemic year.
Puerperal Pyrexia
One hundred and thirty-one notifications of puerperal pyrexia were received during 1965. All
except one of the cases occurred in hospitals; 64 were in respect of persons normally resident in
Westminster.
Puerperal pyrexia is defined as any febrile condition occurring in a woman in whom a temperature
of 100.4°F. or more has occurred within fourteen days after childbirth or miscarriage. Table 6, page
56, shows an analysis of the causes of pyrexia in the cases notified in 1965.
Dysentery
Forty-four notifications of dysentery were received during the year, the majority being single unconnected
cases.
Four of the notifications related to a minor outbreak at a school in Westminster, and a further four
at a school in Islington.
Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever
The eight cases of these diseases notified during the year were all instances of isolated infection
occurring in persons from abroad, two of whom were food handlers.
At the beginning of the year a member of the crew of the P. & O. liner Himalaya was found to be
suffering from typhoid fever. As a result it was necessary for the Public Health Inspectors to visit
some 150 persons who had been in contact with the case aboard ship and who were visiting or staying
in Westminster. Fortunately no secondary cases of the disease occurred in the City.