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1
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Borough of Hornsey.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my Annual Report on the
health of the Borough for the year ending December 31st, 1939.
The birth rate (11.39) and death rate (11.16) have remained
almost stationary for the last decade, but the infant mortality
rate has been reduced to the exceptionally low figure of 27 per
1,000 live births, as compared with an average of 53 for all towns
in England and Wales of 50,000 population and over.
There were no deaths from puerperal sepsis and only one
from other puerperal causes. This gives a maternal mortality
rate of 0.87 per 1,000 births, as compared with 2.82 for England
and Wales.
The notifications of and deaths from the common infectious
diseases are also below the average.
The year under review was disturbed in its first eight months
by the ever-increasing menace of war and in its last four months
by an actual state of war. Modern war imposes an immense
strain on civil populations in numerous ways—there is the disturbance
of family life and interference with education resulting
from the evacuation of large numbers of children from dangerous
to safer areas; the inconvenience of the black-out; the restriction
of food supplies; and especially the abnormal conditions associated
with sheltering from aerial bombardment. All of these
carry potential dangers to the public health. In the circumstances
it is a matter for congratulation that after fifteen months
of war the health and morale of the population have never been
higher.
I have the honour to be,
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
R. P. GARROW,
Medical Officcr of Health.
31st December, 1940.