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2
H (1).
Public Health Department,
Council Offices,
Erith.
The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of
the Borough of Erith.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present my Annual Report on the
work carried out by the Health and School Medical Services
of the Council for the year 1938.
I have to apologise for the late appearance of this report
but it is due to circumstances outside my control.
The report of course is a review of the work of the
department up to the end of the year 1938, but it is bound
to be viewed in the atmosphere of 1939, and what has happened
in 1939 must affect the recording of the work and events of
1938 in scope and in tone. It is impossible therefore to avoid
making mention at least of A.R.P., these duties that have
thrust themselves into every aspect of our lives, and have
forced us to struggle to maintain the scope and efficiency of
our Public Health work with this additional burden placed
upon us.
Expansion of the work of the department has gone on
in all its executive aspects. The most urgent needs of its
constructional or architectural expansion can best find expression
in the provision of more and modern lying-in accommodation
for our expectant mothers, and centralisation of our School
Clinic arrangements and co-ordination in one building with
other health services.
Vital Statistics.
The vital statistics of the year show a Death Rate of 9.799
(11.6), a Birth Rate of 15.87 (15.1) and an Infantile Mortality
Rate of 53.62 (53.0), the figures in parenthesis being the
corresponding figures for England and Wales.