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public slaughterhouses in the district, but application for a licence
for premises formerly used as a private slaughterhouse was received
and granted after repairs and alterations had been carried out.
This slaughterhouse is dealing with a large volume of work and the
Council's Sanitary Inspectors are spending a considerable amount
of time inspecting the meat, not only during the day but in the
evenings and at weekends.
With regard to the vital statistics of the District, the general
post-war downward trend of the Birth Rate ceased and there was a
slight increase in the rate from last year's lowest recorded rate of
this century of 12.38 to 12.62. The Infant Mortality Rate of
17.40 was the lowest yet recorded and I am glad again to report no
maternal deaths attributable to childbirth. The Death Rate of
11.26 was higher than last year. Again over one-fifth of the deaths
occurred in persons over the age of 80 years, one man and one
woman reaching 99 years, two women reaching 96 years, and two
women reaching 95 years. Although the total deaths were almost
equally divided between males and females, only 41 per cent. of the
deaths over 80 years were males. These proportions are similar to
last year's figures. A disturbing feature of the death statistics is
the continuing increase in deaths from cancer, particularly cancer
of the lung and bronchus, and much more marked in males than
females. This trend appears to be general and not local in nature.
The number of notifications of notifiable infectious diseases
was very much less than the previous year, mainly due to the almost
total absence of Measles, and a marked reduction in Scarlet Fever,
Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Pneumonia and Whooping Cough. Apart
from 18 deaths from Tuberculosis and 35 from Pneumonia, the
only other death from notifiable infectious disease was 1 from
Whooping Cough.
Last year I referred to an increase in the number of cases of
Respiratory Tuberculosis, accompanied by a remarkably low figure
of deaths from the disease. This year I am glad to report a marked
reduction in cases from 143 to 85. Only 28 of these were in females,
and this represents a reduction of 43, the main improvement being
in the age groups 15-45 years. Although last year's remarkably
low figure of 11 deaths has risen this year to 18, only 2 of which
were females, the deaths were mainly in the older age groups, and
the figure of 18 is comparatively low.
In general, the activities of the Department have progressed
along the usual lines, the main effort being directed to the prevention
and control of infectious diseases, remedying or demolishing insanitary
property, promoting food hygiene, prevention of statutory