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8
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Pancras Road, N.W. 1.
April, 1924.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of St. Pancras.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present to you the Sixty-Eighth Annual Report on the vital
statistics and sanitary conditions of the Borough, including particulars of the work carried out
during the year by the staff of the Public Health Department.
This is the first annual report which it has been my duty to submit to the Borough
Council.
The statistics for the year present several highly satisfactory features: the death-rate,
the rate of infant mortality, and the incidence of notifiable infectious diseases all being the
lowest hitherto recorded in the borough.
The deaths from tuberculosis were 43 less than during the previous year, the deathrate
from this disease also being the lowest yet recorded.
The birth-rate shows a further decline, being lower than any one of the preceding
three years.
The most unsatisfactory feature is that relating to housing conditions. Overcrowding
continued to be prevalent; but, owing to the absence of any other accommodation, it was in
most cases, not only useless, but undesirable to take action in the matter.
I must not omit to place on record the resignation of my predecessor, Dr. T. Shadick
Higgins, which took effect in June last, after ten years' service.
In conclusion, I should like to express my appreciation of the valued assistance so
willingly accorded to me by the staff of the Public Health Department during the period I
have held office.
I am, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
Medical Officer of Health.