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HER WORSHIP THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND
OF THE BOROUGH OF EDMONTON
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Edmonton, N.9.
Telephone No. EDMonton 3000
Ext. 16
COUNCILLORS
Your Worship, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The health of Edmonton shows a further slight improvement in
1961. The social statistics show a decrease in population, but an increase
in the number of inhabited houses and separate dwellings. There is an
increase in the rateable value and an increase in the product of the Id Rate.
The vital statistics show the number of live births to have been a little
less than in 1960 and this, together with the decrease in population suggests
an increased birth rate. There was a marked rise in the still birth rate
and there was also one maternal death. Child birth was more dangerous in
Edmonton in 1961 for both mother and baby, than it had been in 1960.
The death rate again rose and the corrected death rate was in
1961 higher than that for England and Wales. The crude death rate remained
below the England and Wales figure and one's judgment of the corrected death
rate entirely depends on the faith one can put in the Registrar General's
correction factor. I must admit that there was a substantial increase in
the number of deaths and that undoubtedly a number of these deaths could
have been prevented. The main increase in deaths has been in heart disease
and diseases of the chest. The deaths have been mainly between the ages of
45 and 65 years. An Influenza epidemic at the beginning of the year undoubtedly
played some part in both these increases. There was a marked decrease
in deaths from Cancer of the Lung and Bronchus. This suggests that the Lung
Cancer epidemic in Edmonton possibly reached high tide in 1960.
Housing repairs and slum clearance proceeded fairly briskly and 182
houses with 591 people in them were represented during 1961. A further Smoke
Control Area (No.3.) was brought into operation and the 1962 Area (No.4.)
submitted to and confirmed by the Minister. The Autumn of 1961 was memorable
both for the National Fire Prevention Week and for the visit of the Regional
Hospital Board's Mass X-Ray Unit to the Borough. The Spring was marked by a
measles epidemic and there were scattered food poisoning incidents in both
Spring and Autumn. There was also a short sharp outbreak of food poisoning
in a factory canteen in August.
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