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8
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Pancras Road, N.W. 1.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors oe the
Metropolitan Borough of St. Pancras.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present the 72nd Annual Report on the vital statistics and
sanitary condition of the Borough, including particulars of the work carried out during the
year by the staff of the Public Health Department.
This is the fifth Annual Report which it has been my duty to submit to the Members
of the Council.
The Minister of Health has intimated that the Reports of Medical Officers of Health
for the year 1927 should be "ordinary" reports, that is, reports less detailed in character than
the " Survey " Reports which are required periodically.
A summary of the principal statistics for the year 1927 will be found on page 10.
These statistics will be seen to be extremely satisfactory if compared with the corresponding
figures for previous years.
The principal items to which attention may be directed are as follows: —
The death rate was 12.3 per 1000 of population. With one exception, this is the lowest
general death rate hitherto recorded for the Borough.
The infantile death rate was only 62 per 1000 births, as compared with 76 for the
preceding year. This is without exception the lowest infantile mortality rate ever recorded in
St. Pancras.
There was a decrease in the number of deaths from Cancer, Bronchitis, Diphtheria,
Cerebral Haemorrhage, Measles and Infective Enteritis; but a slight increase in those due to
Heart disease, Pneumonia, Influenza and Whooping Cough.
The birth rate again shewed a decrease, being only 15.5 per 1000 of population. This
is the lowest birth rate hitherto recorded in the Borough.
As regards Wards, the highest birth rate occurred in Ward 6, the lowest in Ward 7.
Notifiable infectious diseases showed no undue prevalence. A special feature was the
marked decrease in the number of cases of Diphtheria, and the number of deaths due to this
disease was lower than has been recorded in any previous report.
The Housing Scheme in Somers Town initiated by the Borough Council is making
rapid progress, and accommodation for a number of tenants should soon be available.
The larger scheme in this area, which is being undertaken by the London County