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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 Ministry of Health, as indicated in the
Sanitary Officers Order, I have the honour to submit the Annual Report, on the sanitary
circumstances, the sanitary administration, and the vital statistics of the Metropolitan Borough
of St. Pancras for the year 1931.
This report contains the information specified in the Circular and Appendix issued by
the Ministry, and is set out, as far as possible, in the manner specified therein.
This is the 76th Annual Report which has been presented, and the ninth which it has
been my duty to submit to the Members of the Council.
A summary of the principal statistics for the year is given on pages 10 and 11. The
items to which attention may be directed include the following: —
Population. According to the preliminary Census reDort, the total population of the
Borough on April 1st, 1931, was 198,113. At the previous Census (1921) the total population
was 211,366, thus indicating a decrease, during the 10 years, of 13,253 persons.
The birth rate was 15.1 per 1000 of population. This shows a slight decrease as
compared with 1930, and is the lowest birth rate hitherto recorded in the Borough.
The death rate was 13.3 per 1000 of population, as compared with a rate of 11.9 for
the previous year. The increase was chiefly due to the prevalence of Influenza, which
resulted in a larger number of deaths from this disease and from Pneumonia.
The low rate for the year 1930 was doubtless affected by the fact that the population
had been estimated at too high a figure by the Registrar-General.
The infantile mortality rate was 68 per 1000 births, as compared with a rate of 60 for
the previous year.
The maternal (Puerperal) death rate was 2 4 per 1000 live births.
Notifiable infectious diseases were much less prevalent than during the previous year,
with the exception of acute Primary Pneumonia and acute Influenzal Pneumonia, both of
which showed a slight increase.
Housing. Continued progress has been made with the various housing schemes which
are being carried out by the Borough Council, the London County Council, and the St. Pancras
House Improvement Association, Ltd,