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INTRODUCTION.
To the Chairman and Members of the Public Health Committee.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I HAVE the honour to present my Annual Report on the Health of
the Borough.
The statistics shew an increase of 280 in the population. There was
an excess of 47 births over deaths and 58 more deaths from all causes.
Compared with the previous year, 21 more deaths were due to Bronchitis
and 15 fewer deaths were directly attributable to Influenza. The Birth
Rate is lower than the rate for the rest of the Country. Both Death and
Infantile Mortality rates are lower than corresponding rates for
comparable boroughs and for England and Wales.
Apart from these slight variations, deaths due to various causes shew
no significant differences from those of the previous year. When the
causes of death are tabulated each year, both the total numbers and the
separate totals of each cause, do not alter a great deal. There were 422
male deaths compared with 399 (1951) and 468 female deaths compared
with 433 (1951).
No outstanding epidemics due to notifiable infectious disease
occurred but there was at the beginning and end of the year, a considerable
amount of sickness due to colds and influenza. The epidemic
of influenza was not so severe as in January and February, 1951. In
investigations carried out by the Virus Reference Laboratory, Colindale,
Beckenham is collaborating through the Beckenham Hospital Pathological
Service. These investigations by identifying true epidemic types of
influenza virus, trace epidemics in their earliest stages. Much illness at
the beginning of 1952 was associated with the exceptionally bad weather
conditions including severe fog, which prevailed.
Investigations of food poisoning outbreaks were meticulously
carried out whenever notifications were received. All the notifications
received related to members of single families and out of 18 investigations
the food poisoning organism was identified on 3 occasions. The remaining
15 illnesses were presumably due to toxins in the food. These
toxins cannot as yet be identified by present laboratory technique.
There was one death from Poliomyelitis and out of 13 cases, 10
were admitted to hospital. The reason for the high hospital admission
rate, however, was that five cases of the non-paralytic variety of the
disease were admitted for investigation. The non-paralytic cases were
notified in June, July and August. The paralytic cases occurred mainly
from August to December.
5,954 persons attended for examination by the Mass Miniature
Radiography Units; an increase of 67 over the last year. The percentage
who were found to be new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis,
increased from 0.5/0.6 per cent in 1951 to 0.5 /0.8 per cent in 1952. This
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