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The report of the Public Health Committee dated 27th November 1918 to Bethnal Green
Borough Council relating to a 'flu epidemic and the difficulty experienced by local undertakers
in respect of removal and burial of fatal cases, stated that the Sanitary Inspectors had visited
all the undertakers on 4th November and ascertained there were 14 bodies in their premises,
that they had 174 funerals in hand and had refused some hundreds of orders during the past
weeks and that they could do with 17 additional coffin makers, and were in need of upwards of
6,000 ft. of timber. The Medical Officers of Health reported 713 deaths from influenza in
Stepney and 524 in Poplar during the 6 weeks of the epidemic.
Another report of the Bethnal Green Health Committee stated that during the 5 weeks ending
the 2nd February, 1918, five persons were fined under Food Control Orders for sel1ing bread less
than 12 hours old.
The Minutes of the Poplar Council stated that the net estimate of expenditure of the
Health Committee for the year 1917/1918 was £9,331. It is also recorded that in 1918 four
prosecutions were taken against publicans for selling Spanish brandy as Scotch whisky.
LIVE BIRTHS
There were 4,445 live births registered in the borough during the year. After correction
for place of residence (inward transfers 144, outward transfers 1,693), the number allocated
to the borough was 2,875 comprising 1,486 boys and 1,389 girls, a decrease of 387 from 1967,
giving a crude birth rate of 14.95 per 1,000 population compared with 16.45 last year. When
adjusted by the Registrar-General's area comparability factor for the borough, which makes
allowances for differences in the age and sex distribution of the population throughout the
country, the rate is 13.75 compared with 16.9 (estimated) for England and Wales, a ratio of 0.82
to the national rate. The crude rate for Inner London is 16.9.
ILLEGITIMATE LIVE BIRTHS
The number of illegitimate live births during the year was 359 equivalent to 12.48% of
the total live births, compared with 13.52% last year. The comparable figure for Inner London
was 15.5%.
STILLBIRTHS
This year stillbirths numbered 52 equivalent to a rate of 18.08 per 1,000 total births
compared with 16.58 in 1967. The rate for England and Wales was 14.3 (estimated) and for Inner
London 13.1.
DEATHS
The number of deaths registered - 2,382, shows an increase of 252 over the figure of last
year. The death rate was 12.39 and when adjusted by the comparability factor becomes 14.62 as
compared with 11.9 for the country as a whole. The crude death rate for Inner London is 11.9.
The largest single cause of death was heart disease, 28% of total deaths, followed by cancer
23% and respiratory conditions 21%. Last year cancer accounted for 25% of deaths.
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