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2
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
St. Marylebone, W.l.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Metropolitan Borough of St. Marylebone.
Despite various difficulties and restrictions associated with life in war-time, health conditions generally in the
Borough continued to be satisfactory. The Registrar-General gave 52,470 as his estimate of the civilian population
for 1942, the figure for 1941 being 49,260. The birth-rate (11.26) showed an increase over the figure for the previous
year (9.34), while the death-rate decreased from 19.49 in 1941 to 15.76 in 1942. The infantile mortality rate at
49.07 was somewhat higher than the low record of 41.77 for 1941. Infectious disease cases, though not excessive
in number, rose from 496 last year to 621 in 1942, pulmonary tuberculosis, dysentery, measles and whooping cough
being mainly responsible for the increase. Diphtheria declined from 33 cases in 1941 to 19 in 1942, and the immunisation
campaign against this disease was intensified with highly encouraging results. No deaths were recorded as due to the
acute infectious diseases. Tuberculosis came to the forefront as a subject for discussion by various government
departments and associations of local authorities, and particular attention was given to mass miniature radiography
as a means of ear ly diagnosis ; additional institutional treatment facilities ; training and resettlement of tuberculous
persons, and maintenance grants for patients and their dependents. Scabies, a concomitant of war, was especially
active during the year and two treatment centres dealt with 1,151 cases. A full maternity and child welfare service
continued to be provided and attendances at the ante-natal and infant clinics showed a marked increase. Two wartime
day nurseries functioned throughout the year, and arrangements were made to increase this number. The
sanitary administration of the Borough was adequately maintained, and close attention was devoted to the suptrvision
of food supplies. In the absence of air-raids, opportunity was taken to review and modify the civil defence
casualty services.
Once more I acknowledge with gratitude the work of the staff, who have carried on untiringly and often in the face
of difficulties. Thanks are also due to the Chairman and Members of the Public Health Committee for the support
they have always afforded me.
H. A. BULMAN,
Medical Officer of Health.
CONTENTS.
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Members of the Public Health Committee 3
Section A—Statistics and Social Conditions :—
General Statistics 3
Extracts from Vital Statistics 3
Births 3
Marriages 3
Maternal Mortality 3
Deaths 4
Infantile Mortality 4
Mortuary 4
Crematorium 4
Section B—General Provision of Health
Services :—
Staff 5
Laboratory Facilities 5
Home Nursing 5
Health Centres 5
Maternity and Child Welfare :—
Work of the Clinics 5
Home Visits 5
Milk and Food, etc 5
Day Nurseries 5,6
Play Centres 6
Home Helps 6
Child Life Protection 6
Dental Treatment 6
Maternity Cases 6
Convalescent Homes 6
Section C—Sanitary Circumstances :—
Water 6
Drainage 6
Combined Drainage 6
Public Conveniences6
Public Cleansing 6
Shops 6
Bed Bugs 6
Verminous Persons 6
Rats and Mice 7
Sanitary Inspection 7
Mosquitoes 7
Pigeons 7
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Noise 7
Poisons 7
Factories 7
Civil Defence 7
Section d—Housing :—
Inspection of Dwelling-houses 8
Common Lodging Houses 8
War-Damaged Dwellings 8
Public Air Raid Shelters 8
Section e—Food :—
Milk Supply 8
Meat and Other Foods
Unsound Food 8
Slaughterhouse 8
Food Premises 8
Ice Cream Premises 8
Butter and Margarine Premises 8
Bakehouses 8
Fried Fish Vendors and Fish Curers 8
Restaurants, Tea Rooms, etc. 8
Bacteriological Examinations 8
Food and Drugs Act, 1938 8
Section F—Infectious and Other Diseases :—
Notifications 9
Immunisation :—
Diphtheria 9
Whooping Cough 9
Typhus Fever 9
Vaccination 9
Scabies 9
Impetigo 10
Dysentery 10
Venereal Diseases 10
Tuberculosis :—
New Cases and Mortality 10
Notifications 10
Dispensary .10
Institutional Treatment 11
Care Committee
Disinfection
Bacteriological Examinat ions 11