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REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
FOR THE YEAR 1913.
To the Mayor, Aldermen, and Councillors of the Metropolitan
Borough of Stoke Newington.
Gentlemen,
The vital statistics of the Borough for the year 1913 were
of their usual satisfactory nature. The general death-rate of
13.1, though somewhat higher than that for the preceding year,
compares favourably with the corresponding rate of 14.2 for the
Metropolis as a whole. The death-rate from the chief infectious
diseases (0.85) was the second lowest on record, and it is well
below the corresponding rate for the Metropolis generally. The rate
of infantile mortality (the number of deaths under one year of age to
every thousand births) was 82.7, as against a rate of 105 for the
Metropolis; this is the third lowest rate of infantile mortality
since the formation of the Borough, and there were only three
Metropolitan Boroughs with a lower rate. It is obvious, however,
from our experience, that continuous and increasing efforts are
necessary in order to permanently reduce the wastage of infant
life which still goes on.
The notifications of infectious diseases (excluding those from
Tuberculosis) were during 1913 higher than in the preceding year;
but the prevalence of each separate notified disease, including
Consumption, compares favourably with that for the Metropolis.
I would direct your special attention to the remarks on
Infant Mortality (pp. 103-110) and those on Consumption (pp. 129137).
The year 1914 promises to witness the provision at your
hands of some needed extension of our efforts in respect to these
two important items of public health work.