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Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
St. Marylebone, W.l
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough of St. Marylebone.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have pleasure in presenting my Annual Report for the year 1954 which, at the request of the
Minister of Health, is again a "non-survey" report. It follows closely the form of its immediate
predecessors and is merely a record of the year's happenings, without any attempt to enter deeply
into detail.
Health conditions generally in the Borough continued to be satisfactory. Population, according
to the Registrar General's estimate, rose slightly to 73,930. Both the birth-rate (11.59) and the deathrate
(14.27) were lower than in 1953 (12.16 and 14.75 respectively) and there was no maternal
mortality. Deaths of infants under one year of age increased, however, to 27, making the death-rate
31.50, the figures in 1953 being 19 and 21.16 respectively. Although these figures for infant
mortality are the highest since 1948 no special significance can be attached to them.
It was not a "measles year" and notifications of infectious and other diseases fell to the record
low figure of 319. The numbers of notifications in the three preceding years were 1,108 (1951), 846
(1952) and 730 (1953). Again no diphtheria was reported—the last was in 1948—and there were only
19 cases of scarlet fever, all of which were of a mild type. There were no deaths from notifiable diseases
other than tuberculosis and pneumonia.
The weather was generally dull, wet and cold, although a dry spring followed the rather cold winter
of 1953/4. Snow occurred for ten days in January, seven in February and six in March and after April,
which was dry and sunny, the weather became wet and cold and remained so during practically the
whole of the summer. June was the wettest for forty years and conditions did not improve appreciably
until September, which produced the warmest day of the year with a temperature of 87 degrees F.
October was comparatively warm and dry, but storms developed and November again was a
wet month. There was, however, little fog and the remainder of the year was mild and dry with the
amount of sunshine above the average until just after Christmas when it turned very cold.
To His Worship the Mayor, to the Chairman, Councillor Dr. H. K. Ashworth, T.D., and his predecessor
Councillor H. C. Garrard, and to members of the Public Health Committee I offer my thanks for many
kindnesses and for the consideration and encouragement they gave me during the year. My thanks
are also due to my colleagues in other Departments of the Council for their co-operation and assistance,
and to the staff of the Public Health Department for their continued loyalty and efficient support in
the public health work of the Borough.
Finally, although on the occasion of his retirement early in 1955, the Council formally recorded their
appreciation of the valuable services of Mr. A. H. James, who was with the Public Health Department
for fifty years, I cannot allow this opportunity to pass without mentioning the fact. I wish to thank
him for the great help he has been to me personally and hope that he may enjoy a long and happy
retirement.
I am, Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
H. A. BULMAN,
Medical Officer of Health.