View report page

Death Rate of Infants under one year of age:All
infants per 1,000 live births 34.4
Legitimate Infants per 1,000 legitimate
live births 21.7
Illegitimate Infants per 1,000 illegitimate
live births 375.0
Deaths from Cancer (all ages) - 6l
'' '' Measles (all ages) - 0
'' '' Whooping Cough- (all ages) 0
'' '' Diarrhoea (under 2 years of age) 3
BIRTH RATE.
There were 581 births. (16 illegitimate) during the
year. The birth rate is lower 16,88 per 1,000 of the estimated
resident population as compared with 17.78 last year. The
birth rate for England and Wales in 1939 was 15.
DEATH RATS.
There were 330 deaths, as compared with 260 last year.
The death rate for England and Wales for the year is 12.1
The increase in the death rate is due chiefly to
diseases of the heart. The general health of the district
remains very good.
INFANTILE DEATH RATE.
There were 20 deaths of children under one year as
compared with 14 last year, a death rate per 1_,000 live births
of 31.1. Last year the figure was 23.9. The infantile Death
Rate for England and Wales for the year is 50.
IREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS DISUSES.
With the exception of Mumpts, all cases of infectious
disease are now notifiable in the area, and particulars of those
cases notified are given in Table 1.
With regard to Diphtheria every facility for prompt
diagnosis and treatment is placed at the disposal of local
doctors, swabs for examinations of throat etc. and a supply
of antitoxin are kept in readiness at the Council Offices. In
addition, the Council has now given facilities for the supply
of immunising serum. This is available in necessitous cases
on the application of local doctors. 18 Children were
immunised during the year*
It is to be regretted that more advantage is not being
taken of the facilities now provided for preventive
immunisation.
In the case of Measles there is more difficulty in
obtaining the convalescent and adult serum, but in time it is
to be hoped that the extended use of preventive_immunisation
will reduce the chances of a fatal termination in both these
diseases to the vanishing point.
Similar facilities for bacteriological diagnosis are
available in cases of Tuberculosis and other Infectious
Diseases and full advantage is taken of them. During the
year, reports on the following swabs and sputa sent for
bacteriological examination were received:-
Swabs taken from suspicious cases of Diphtheria,
positive nil, negative 119.
Sputa taken from suspicious cases of tuberculosis,
ppsitive nil, negative 19.
2