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5.
METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF STOKE NEWINGTON
REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH FOR THE YEAR 1959
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Stoke Newington, N. 16.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of
the Metropolitan Borough of Stoke Newington.
I have the honour to present my Annual Report for the year 1959 on the
health and sanitary circumstances in Stoke Newington.
The Registrar-General's estimate of the civilian population in 1959
was 50,200 while the number of births allocated to this borough was 1,060
as compared with 938 in 1958, thus showing an increase in the birth rate
from 18.58 to 21.12.
The administration of the Rent Act 1957 resulted in the issue of 14
Certificates of Disrepair, 15 Certificates of Revocation and the receipt of
14 Undertakings to execute works being received from landlords.
There were 6 deaths from motor vehicle accidents during the year, 3 of
which were due to the collision of private cars. The remaining 3 deaths
were following injuries received after falls from trolley buses and involved
persons aged 69 years and over. Deaths from other accidents showed a small
decrease as compared with 1958, and involved 13 persons. 11 of these accidents
were to persons over the age of 65 years, who, in the majority of
cases, died after falling in the street or at home.
In my Annual Report for 1958, the seriousness of accidents in the home
was stressed. It will do no harm to stress this point again this year, and
to remind the public of the need for not leaving young children alone, even
for short periods, in rooms with inadequately guarded fires or where boiling
water, matches or the like are accessible to young children.
The total deaths of Stoke Newington residents was 563 indicating an
increase in the death rate from 10.59 to 11.22. The causes were Tuberculosis
4; Cancer of all sites 126; Vascular lesions of Nervous System 55;
Heart Diseases 158; Pneumonia 30; Bronchitis 51; Suicides 6; Accidents 19;
and other diseases 114.
Deaths from cancer of the lung and bronchus totalled 39 as compared
with 21 in 1958. In past years I have emphasised the relationship between
smoking and lung cancer. The figures for deaths from this disease in 1959
show a marked increase and I would again stress the dangers connected with
cigarette smoking.