View report page

INTRODUCTION
Vital
statistics
The home population of the County in the middle of 1955 was estimated by the
Registrar General to be 3,295,000—a decrease of 27,000 as compared with the previous
year. The average age of the population was 37-5 years and the percentage above the
age of 65 years was again 11.6.
The live birth rate (15.1 per thousand population) was slightly lower than in the
previous year. Of the total live births 7.7 per cent. were illegitimate, and this figure is
the highest recorded since 1946. The still-birth rate which has remained relatively
stable for some years was somewhat higher than in 1954 being 20.3 per 1,000 total
births, the legitimate and illegitimate rates being 19.9 and 25.7 respectively.
The death rate was 11.5 per 1,000 of the population, a higher figure than the rate
for 1954 which was the lowest recorded so far. The increase in mortality was mainly
among the aged and in the diseases affecting old age. Heart disease was still the major
cause of death and accounted for nearly one-third of the mortality, cancer remained
the second cause of death with an increased death rate of 2.39 per 1,000 as against 2.31 per
1,000 in 1954. The degenerative diseases, namely heart disease, other circulatory diseases,
cerebral vascular lesions, nephritis and bronchitis were again responsible for over half
all deaths. The sixth cause of death was again violence which had also increased slightly.
The number of deaths from road accidents was the highest recorded since the war.
The death rate of children under one year increased from 20.6 in 1954 to 23.2 per
1,000 live births in 1955, and the rate in the first four weeks of life was 16.7. The infant
mortality rate among illegitimate infants was 30.8 per 1,000 illegitimate births. A review
of mortality in this century appears at page 153.
Weathei
A table summarising the weather experienced during the year appears at page 189.
Although the weather generally was good, temperatures were consistently low during
the first quarter.
Infectious
diseases
There were 16 confirmed notifications of diphtheria during 1955. In two cases,
each of young children, it proved fatal. In neither case, although repeated offers had
been made to the parents, had immunisation been carried out.
There were 4,709 notifications of whooping cough with seven deaths. Each figure
though somewhat high is of the same order as that for last year. The figure for scarlet
fever notifications (2,070) was the lowest ever recorded. There were 49,110 notifications
of measles with 15 resulting deaths, substantially higher than in the previous year and
accounted for by the fact that it was the second and principal year of a biennial cycle.
A low figure for deaths from enteritis and diarrhoea in children under two years of
age (27) was again recorded. Deaths attributable to influenza (164) although nearly
twice as numerous as in 1954 were below the average for recent years. The number of
notifications of poliomyelitis was the highest to date, although mortality was lower
than in previous large epidemics.Whilst about a third of the notifications were in respect
of the 0-5 years age group, there was a proportionate increase in the 5-14 years age
group with a corresponding drop in the group aged 15 years and more.
Tuberculosis
The incidence or bonne dysentery, although not so heavy as in 1954, was considerable
(3,019 notifications as against 4,268).
In 1955 there were 561 deaths (mainly in older men) from all forms of tuberculosis
in the county as compared with 658 in the previous year. This reduction in mortality
was accompanied by a reduction in morbidity, 4,122 new cases having been notified
during this year compared with 4,691.
Protective vaccination of thirteen year old school-children with B.C.G. has continued
for those whose parents accepted. It is a great pity that 25 per cent. of this age group
of London children are deprived of the protection afforded by this simple measure of
proved value because parents remain indifferent or unconvinced.
Scientific
branch
The work of this branch is summarised at page 54, whilst a fuller report is published
separately.*However, the concern that was felt at the condition of the London atmos-
*Annual Report of the Scientific Adviser, 1955, Staples Press, Ltd., London.
4