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Sbl Chairman and Members of the Fublio Health Committee.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present my fourteenth Annual Report,
being the forty-second of the series, dealing with the work of the
Public Health and School Medical Departments,
Tlie report has been greatly curtailed although the full statistical
details have been prepared so that the sequence of figures is not broken
and are available for reference if necessary.
Statistical Tables have been limited to those of .lost importance and
interest, coiamontaries thereon have been omitted except where necessary
to clarify the figures given.
Air-raids on a fairly heavy scale continued until the end of May
but they did not dislocate the work of the department though on
occasion they threw heavy extra burdens upon the staff.
The Birth-rate for the year was 14,3 per 1,000 of the estimated
population, a decrease of .1.1 per 1,000 on 1940. The death rate was
13,75 a decrease of 1,85 per 1,000 of the population. The Infantilo
Mortality rate was maintained at a low level being 3? per 1,000 births.
This is the lowest figure yet recorded for Croydon and must be
con;, i do red as very satisfactory under the conditions prevailing. It
is necessary however, to point out that owing to the uncertainty
as to the actual population, which towards tho end of the year showed
a considerable Ingress, it is not possible to say that the above
figures are absolutely, correct.
The incidence of notifiable diseases remained low, with the
exception of Measles and Whooping Cough, both of which showed fairly
considerable increase. This was expected as regards Measles>as the
incidence had been exceptionally loxv in 1940. With the exception of
those two zymotics, the figures for infectious diseases incidence have
remained remarkably low taking into consideration the abnormal conditions
brought about by sleeping in Air-raid shelters during the first part of
the year.
The greatest cause of death was from diseases of the heart and
circulatory system, and the figures rose from 4,31 per 1,000 of the
population to 5.43. 'This increase is probably little influenced by
raid conditions but the general stress and strain of life under wartime
restrictions is probably a contributory factor. Deaths from diseases
of the digestive system showed a decrease. Deaths due to enemy action
numbered 0.68 per 1,000 of tho population.
' There has be n an increase in skin affections, particularly
Scnbies, but so far influenza shows no tendency to assume tho pandemic
incidence which occured in 1918 - 1919.
Considered as a Thole as reflected in the Vital Statistics the
health of Croydon has been well maintained in 1941.
Immunisation against Diphtheria has been proceeding steadily and
the incidence of Diphtheria in Croydon during the year was the lowest
yet noted. There is, however, much to bo done before the desired rate
of at least Q0% of the population immunised is attained.
Full statistics are given of the cases treated in Mayday Hospital
because this information may bo of value to other hospitals, The
hospital had a busy year though 250 bods were kept empty under the
Emergency Hospital Scheme arrangements. Happily they have not yet been
needed to go into commission.