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For the sixth successive year there was no maternal
death associated with childbirth. Considering that during the
past six years there were 7,847 births in the Borough it may
be said that the antenatal and obstetric services in the area
have worked to a high standard of efficiency. The stillbirth
rate per 1,000 total (live and still) births rose, however, to
20.4 (compared to 14.9, 14.9, 15.2 and 19.9 in the previous
four years).
The number of illegitimate births rose again to 51
compared with 45, 34, 37, 23, 33, 34, 30, 35 and 34 in the
previous nine years.
Deaths from cancer of the lung numbered 53 (46 in
1961).
For the thirteenth year in succession there was no case
of diphtheria in the Borough and no case of poliomyelitis
in the year under review.
The years 1961 and 1962 will be remembered for the
fact that on five separate occasions during this period
smallpox was brought into this country by air travellers from
Karachi resulting in 62 cases in England and Wales of which
24 proved fatal. Although there was no real threat to the
Borough an indirect effect of these cases was an overwhelming
public demand for vaccination. The occurrence of
a single case of smallpox in Woolwich in January 1962
caused a local agitation for vaccination clinics to be opened
in Be.xley but this was successfully resisted. Nevertheless
many hundreds of people in the Borough received vaccination
through their family doctors and many cases of vaccinia
occurred some of which simulated smallpox and raised
difficult problems of diagnosis. I should like to place on
record the help which we received in this connection from
Dr. J. V. Armstrong of the Brook Hospital one of our local
smallpox consultants.
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