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ii.
The Still Births registered were 111 as compared with 131 in
1946, the rate was 21.3 per 1,000 total live and still births. This
was 26.5 per 1,000 in 1946.
The Infantile Mortality was 38 per 1,000 live births, an
increase of 7 per 1,000 on 1946, in which year the lowest recorded
rate of 31 per 1,000 was attained. The maternal mortality rate
was 1.92 per 1,000 total births, an increase of 1.31 over 1946. The
infantile mortality among legitimate children was 36 per 1,000
births, and among illegitimate 71 per 1,000 births. Both these
figures, especially that for illegitimates, show an increase on 1946.
The major causes of death among the population were
diseases of the heart and circulatory system (4.17 per 1,000 population),
cancer (1.94), diseases of the respiratory system (1.84),
diseases of the digestive system (0.65), and violent causes, including
suicide (0.48). As compared with 1946, the groups comprised
in diseases of the respiratory system and of the digestive
system show an increase. Deaths from violence remained much
the same.
Among the notifiable infectious diseases, measles and
whooping cough showed considerable increases; scarlet fever,
a small increase; diphtheria, a further decline. In the last
quarter of the year, Croydon, as with other districts throughout
England, experienced a wave of cases of Poliomyelitis. The
incidence was showing a considerable decline as the year drew
to a close. During 1947, 58 cases were notified, of whom 31 were
males and 27 females. Individuals of all ages between 1 year and
45 years were attacked, and the incidence of cases was general
over the town ; only one ward, Bensham Manor, escaped. South
Norwood, with 10 cases, and Broad Green (9) had the highest
incidence. The resources of the Department were fully capable
of dealing with the cases; a special department for remedial
exercises, under-water massage, etc., was commenced at Mayday
Hospital, cases being automatically referred thereto from the
Borough Isolation Hospital at the expiration of the acute stage.
All cases were seen and advised upon by a specialist orthopedic
surgeon.
The Home Helps scheme continued to expand, and at the
end of the year there were 37 full-time and 20 part-time Helps
employed. Nine hundred and sixty-six applications for Helps
were received and 871 of these requests were met, an increase of