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COUNTY BOROUGH OF CROYDON
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
AND
PRINCIPAL SCHOOL MEDICAL OFFICER
FOR THE YEAR 1959
To the Chairman and Members of the Health Committee
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
I have the honour to present the Annual Report on the health
of the people of Croydon and the relevant services of the Corporation
for the year ending 31st December 1959 and comment on a
few of the matters covered in greater detail in later pages.
Statistics
These show many reverses in the recent steady trends of continuing
improvement. The general death and infant mortality
rates rose. There was only one maternal death, but a "Nil" return
as in 1957 is the present target. There were fewer deaths
from road accidents and suicide, but a record high number for
cancer, especially cancer of the lung.
The number of illegitimate births expressed as a percentage
of all live births was the highest since 1945 and a most unwelcome
return to a war-time rate.
Chance can be an important factor in variations of annual
figures, when the actual numbers concerned are small, but if we
ignore this possibility, statistically 1959 was a somewhat disappointing
year.