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4
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Borough of Erith
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my Annual Report for the
year 1958, which is prepared on the lines suggested by the
Minister of Health.
The Registrar-General's estimate of the mid year population
for the Borough is 45,880 compared with 46,010 in
1957. Generally speaking, on the basis of the statistical information
available, the health of the Borough was well
maintained. The standardised death rate was 12.91 per
thousand of the home population compared with 11.7 for
the whole of England and Wales. The birth rate at 14.65
per thousand remains considerably lower than that for the
country as a whole (16.4). Thirteen infants died during the
first year of life, giving an infant mortality rate of 19.35 per
thousand live births. The infant mortality rate for England and
Wales was 22.6 per thousand. Four deaths were associated
with prematurity and congenital malformation, over which
no significant degree of control is possible at present. Much
research is, however, going on in regard to the possible influence
of german measles and other virus infections which
may affect the growing foetus during the early months of
pregnancy. There was one maternal death, giving a maternal
mortality rate per 1.000 total births of 1.49, compared with
0.44 per 1,000 for England and Wales.
Deaths from tuberculosis numbered four as against six
in 1957. Deaths due to malignant disease, in general, showed
an increase over the previous year, and cancer of the lung
caused 22 deaths, as against 21 in 1957. Deaths attributed
to coronary disease numbered 76, compared with 61 in 1957,
and 59 in 1956. For the ninth year in succession there has
not been a single case of diphtheria in the Borough. There
was one case of non-paralytic poliomyelitis during the year
Thirty-five new cases of tuberculosis were notified during
1958 as against 53 during the previous year. The year under
review was a measles year and a considerable epidemic
commenced in July and continued to the end of March,
1959. During 1958, 614 cases were notified, and all cases
were treated at home.
Infectious diseases throughout the ages have shown a
rise and fall in incidence due to many and complicated