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INTRODUCTION
To the Chairman and Members of the Public Health Committee.
I have the honour to present my Report on the health of the Borough
during 1958.
Statistics
For the first time in 5 years, there has been a reversal of the steady
increase in population, and this year there was a decrease of 60 in the
estimated mid-year population. The reason for this was an increase
of 181 deaths over the previous year so that in spite of an increase in
births of 22, the total deaths exceeded births by 15. It seems that these
deaths were related to the outbreak of Influenza in 1957. This outbreak
is clearly shewn later in the Report on a graph which illustrates over
four years, illnesses in the employed part of the population. This is
compiled from the number of new claims for sickness benefit, and is
one method of illustrating the incidence of colds and influenza. It
does not include the pensioned part of the population, but perusal of
death returns for this year, shews that deaths occurred mainly in older
persons with a relative increase in deaths from respiratory diseases
and various forms of heart disease.
The usual excess of female deaths over male deaths was increased
from 21 in 1957 to 181 in 1958.
Pulmonary Tuberculosis caused one death, a male, and this is the
lowest figure ever recorded in Beckenham. On the other hand, deaths
from Cancer of the Lung were the highest recorded for 5 years, and
in males, there were twice as many as 7 years ago.
There was a slight increase in the total of births and consequently
in the birth rate. The birth rate depends on the number of married
couples and the marital fertility rate, and these two factors vary
enormously from area to area throughout the Country, and so afford
no true comparisons of social health.
There were reductions in the Infant Mortality rate and Neonatal
Mortality rate, and these rates are taken as representing the best
indications of comparative standards of living.
Perusal of the 10 year Table of Comparative Rates, shews that
the most significant reduction in deaths in recent years has been that
of mothers in childbirth.
Environmental Health and Social Services
The number of Clubs and local organisations helping handicapped
persons has continued to grow. We have now a Beckenham and
District Hard of Hearing Club meeting once a month, and a local
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