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5
complacency, one has the feeling that the Department has now
settled down to the new order.
Before commenting on the statistics for 1965, it is necessary to
refer to the fact that as a result of the formation of the new
Borough, there are no readily available figures to form a basis of
comparison with previous years. This is because the London
Borough of Wandsworth was formed by the amalgamation of twothirds
of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth and the whole
of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and without a considerable
amount of retrospective statistical research, which would be
impracticable at the present time, no comparable figures are readily
available. We shall, therefore, be starting de novo but if there are
any unusual variations from what experience indicates as a reasonable
norm, these will be indicated. As the years go by the various
rates for each year will be recorded where appropriate in the
Report.
Details of the vital statistics will be found in the body of the
Report but the basic figures for the year are as follows. The
civilian population of the new Borough as estimated by the Registrar-General
is 331,660 and the birth and death rates have been
based on this figure. The total number of live births was 6,490,
which gave an adjusted birth rate per thousand of the population of
18.77. The number of deaths at all ages was 4,447, which gave an
adjusted death rate per thousand of the population of 11.12. The
total number of deaths of infants under one year of age was 143,
on which figure the infant mortality rate is 22.03 per thousand live
births. The perinatal mortality rate, which is based on the sum of
the stillbirths and the deaths under one week per thousand total
live and still births was 28.21. Four women died from causes
associated with childbirth, which represents a mortality rate of
0.60 per thousand total live and still births.
During 1965, infectious disease caused no particular general
concern, although some single incidents did occasion some anxiety.
3,474 notifications were received but of these 2.795 were of measles
cases because 1965 was a "measles" year. There was one death
from this disease in a boy aged seven years. One case of poliomyelitis
was notified and steps were taken in this case by local
distribution of oral vaccine to prevent a spread. There were 263
cases of dysentery, concentrated mainly in day nurseries and/or
day schools but in each case the spread was limited and careful
checks were made of all contacts. Five cases of typhoid fever and
one of paratyphoid fever were notified and it is interesting to note
that in all cases the source of infection was almost certainly from
abroad. There was no untoward incidence of influenza. As regards
tuberculosis, there were 192 new cases notified and 18 deaths.
Some description of the work of the various sections of the
Department will be found in the following pages and I need only
refer here to one or two matters.