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Deaths due to other accidents totalled 5, being a decrease of 4 in
comparison with the previous year. Two males and three females were
involved, and deaths were caused by burns when Clothing caught fire,
fractures after having fallen from bed, after being struck by a train
and by a motor cycle.
Suicides totalled 4 and involved one male and three females.
Deaths of Stoke Newington residents totalled 503 as compared with
557 in 1952 and the death rate dropped from 11.00 to 9.81. The causes of
death were Tuberculosis 12, Syphilitic Diseases 4, Poliomyelitis 1, Cancer 84,
Vascular Lesions of Nervous System 54, Heart Diseases 141, Pneumonia 39,
Bronchitis 46, Motor Vehicle Accidents 1, Suicide 4, Other Diseases 117. It
is to be noted that the number of deaths from Tuberculosis is decreasing while
the number of deaths from Cancer is increasing. In 1950 there were 15 deaths
from Tuberculosis and 16 deaths from Cancer of the Lung and Bronchus, while
in 1953 there were 12 deaths from Tuberculosis and 23 deaths from Cancer of
the Lung and Bronchus.
Notifications of Infectious Diseases showed an increase over the
figure for 1952 owing to the greater incidence of measles. 1251 notifications
were received as compared with 831 for the previous year. No cases
of Diphtheria were reported, but two cases of Poliomyelitis were removed
to hospital and one of these, a woman, between the ages of 45 and 65, subsequently
died. 10 cases of Food Poisoning were reported and involved persons
in various age groups. 623 specimens were sent to the Laboratory for
bacteriological examination. For the first two months of the year, these
examinations were carried out at the Camberwell Research Laboratory and
from the beginning of March at the Laboratory at County Hall. I would
like to express my appreciation for the help given by Dr. Tomlinson and
his staff at County Hall in connection with these examinations.
During the year, 3043 enquiries were dealt with at the Public
Health Department counter. These covered a wide variety of subjects
including Housing, Infectious Disease, Street Trading, Dinsinfection,
Vaccination and Maternity and Child Welfare Services.
The investigation into atmospheric pollution continued throughout
the year and a full set of readings will be found in the statistical
part of the report.
Fortunately, London did not have any severe fogs similar to those
experienced in the previous year when there was a considerable increase
in the number of deaths of old people.
In my report for 1952, a suggested outline of a course of action
for a Clean Food Campaign was shown. During 1953, considerable progress
was made in this direction. In addition, a Health and Hygiene Exhibition