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8
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Pancras Road, N.W. 1.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of St. Pancras.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In accordance with the requirements of the Sanitary Officers Order I have the honour
to present the Annual Report on the sanitary circumstances and administration, together
with the vital statistics of the Borough.
The Minister of Health, in the exercise of his powers under the above order has
intimated that the Report for 1928 shall be an "ordinary" report, that is, a report less detailed
in character than the "Survey" Reports which are periodically required.
This is the 73rd Annual Report which has been presented and the sixth which it has
been my duty to submit to the Members of the Council.
A summary of the principal statistics for the year will be found on page 10. The
items to which attention may be directed are the following: —
The population, accord in 2 to the estimate of the Registrar-General, shews a decrease of
no less than 7,200 as compared with 1927, and of 10,800 as compared with the year 1926.
This matter is further considered on page 12, but it should be pointed out that if the
population is under-estimated the death and other rates which are based on this estimate are
caused to appear unduly high.
The birth rate for 1928 was 15.9 per 1000 of estimated population and the death rate
12.7, as compared with rates of 15.5 and 12.3 respectively for the previous year.
The actual numbers of both births and deaths were less than during 1927, but owing to
the estimated decrease in population the rates are rendered slightly higher.
Deaths from Heart disease, Cancer and from Injuries were more numerous than in the
previous year, but there was a decrease in those due to Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Influenza and
Whooping Cough.
The infant mortality rate was 80 per 1000 births, as compared with 62 for the
previous year. This very considerable increase was due to the fact that high figures for all
the customary principal causes of infant deaths, namely, Respiratory, Enteritic and Congenital
causes, coincided with an epidemic of Measles of a severe type.
A scheme of co-operation in Ante-natal work as regards University College Hospital