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Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
St. Marylebone, W.l.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The state of the public health in the Borough continued to be maintained at a satisfactory level
throughout 1947. The birth-rate (13.21) again exceeded the death rate (12.29), and the infantile
mortality rate—that most delicate indicator of public health progress—reached a new low level,
declining sharply a second year from 46.54 in 1945 and 36.64 in 1946 to 26.55 in 1947, representing
the lowest rate but one in the metropolitan area, and comparing favourably with the national rate
of 41 and the County of London rate of 37. The civilian population again showed an upward trend,
being estimated by the Registrar-General at 76,980, as against 70,920 in 1946 and 59,590 in 1945.
Infectious disease notifications rose slightly from 675 (1946) to 709, of which no fewer than 330 related
to measles. The prevalence of poliomyelitis throughout England and Wales in 1947 was four-and-ahalf
times greater than it had ever been before. Fifteen cases occurred in St. Marylebone, and the
fact that most of these appeared to be unconnected is a point of some epidemiological value.
Maternity and child welfare and other personal health services were again in great demand
throughout the area, and it is noteworthy that this is the last complete year of the Borough Council's
responsibility for these services, which will be transferred to the care of other authorities on the 5th
July, 1948, under the provisions of the National Health Service Act, 1946.
The formation of the St. Marylebone Old People's Welfare Association during the year marked an
important stage in the development and correlation of local effort directed towards the care of aged
inhabitants in the Borough. Though in its infancy the Association has already provided a variety
of services for the benefit of old people, and the scope of its activities is almost entirely governed by
the number of volunteers who are prepared to devote a little time to this much needed and most
useful work among the more helpless of our people.
A considerable burden of work has fallen on the sanitary inspectors in dealing with dilapidations
and sanitary defects, particularly in the older properties in the Borough, and despite the continuance
of many post-war difficulties, including a shortage of labour and materials, much useful work has been
accomplished during the year. Close touch has been kept with the Council's Housing Department
on various aspects of housing, and many urgent cases for rehousing on medical grounds or on account
of overcrowding have been referred to the Director of Housing for priority consideration. Assistance
has also been rendered by the Department in connection with applications for building licences.
Special attention has been paid to food inspection and supervision, and intensive efforts have been
made to raise the standard of storage, preparation and handling of food in the large number of public
eating places in the Borough.
As regards weather, 1947 was a year of extremes and will long be remembered for severe frost, snow,
floods and a hurricane, followed by a long and glorious summer with a drought that persisted into
November. Several new monthly records were set up: it was, for instance, the wettest Maich on
record with of inches of rain and a 77 m.p.h. wind; the dullest February, the sunniest August and the
driest October since 1899. June had exceptionally high temperatures with the third hottest June
day on record, when the thermometer registered 94 degrees Fahr.—and then fell 20 degrees the next
day.
I desire to thank the members of the Council for the support and sympathetic consideration always
extended to me, and for their attention to the problems which it has been my duty to place before them.
To the staff of the Department I again express my appreciation of their loyal assistance
and co-operation in the public health work of the Borough.
I am,
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
H. A. BULMAN,
Medical Officer of Health.
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