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REPORT
of the Medical Officer of Health
for the year 1949
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth
Your Worship, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I herewith present my Annual Report on the health of the
Borough for the year 1949, including the Report of the Public
Analyst on the work he has carried out.
There has been no unusual mortality during the year.
The resident population is estimated at 334,840, an increase
of 2,300 over the previous year.
The birth-rate for the year was 15.08, compared with 16.70
for 1948. The death-rate was 11.92 compared with 11.28.
The infantile mortality has fallen from 31 in 1948 to 26 per
thousand births in 1949. There was only one maternal death.
Seven cases confirmed as diphtheria occurred during the year,
but there were no deaths from this disease. 495 cases of scarlet
fever and 2,969 of measles were notified but there were no deaths
from either disease.
An outbreak of acute poliomyelitis occurred during the summer
and early autumn. There were 58 cases subsequently confirmed,
with four deaths.
I would like to call attention to Tables IV, VII and VIII on
pages 9, 16 & 17 which give in tabular form a summary of the
reductions which have taken place in infantile and maternal mortality
and infectious disease since 1900.