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3
ANNUAL REPORT
of the
MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH, 1964.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough of Enfield.
I have pleasure in presenting my Annual Report for 1964.
This is my last Report for the Borough which on 1st April,
1965, will become, with the Boroughs of Edmonton and Southgate,
a constituent part of the London Borough of Enfield.
As in previous years, the work of the Department has been
directed mainly towards the control of infectious disease, the
provision and maintenance of fit dwellings, sound drainage, pure
and wholesome food and water, clean air and freedom from excessive
noise.
With regard to the Vital Statistics of the Borough, the Birth
Rate is 16.66, compared with 14.73 last year. This year's figure is
in fact the highest since that of 17.57 in 1948.
The Death Rate is 10.02 compared with 10.73 last year, and is
the lowest since that of 9.66 in 1952.
The Infant Mortality Rate of 14.30 shows a considerable
decrease from last year's figure of 20.44 and is the second lowest
ever recorded, the exceptionally low figure of 10.26 being recorded
in 1957.
I am again pleased to report no Maternal Death during the year.
With regard to Infectious Diseases there is a considerable
reduction in the number of notifications, mainly due to a marked
decrease in the number of cases of measles.
Comments on the various aspects of the work of the Department
are contained in the text of this Report and I regret that
circumstances this year preclude any comprehensive exposition
on the health of the district but I think, in this final report, a rapid
comparative glance at the statistics at the beginning of the century
and the present time might be interesting.
From a population in 1900 of 43,394 the Borough has increased
to 109,060 in 1964. The Birth Rate has fallen from 27.00 to 16.66,
the Death Rate has fallen from 13.7 to 10.02, and the Infant Mortality
Rate has made the remarkable reduction from 145.0 to 14.3.