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1
TO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS OF
THE BOROUGH OF LEYTON.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
As in the previous war years, my Annual Report for the year
1944 is in the abridged and abbreviated form suggested by the
Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education.
The number of births registered during 1944 was 1613, representing
a birth rate of 18.87 per thousand of the population; the
comparative birth rate for England and Wales was 17.6. With the
exception of the year 1941, there has occurred a gradual and progressive
rise in the Leyton birth rate from 11.85 in the year 1936
to 18.87 in the year under review.
The general death rate from all causes was 15.04 per thousand
of the population, the infantile mortality rate 42.15 per thousand
live births, and the maternal mortality rate 1.20 per thousand
total births.
Since the year 1938 the Health Department has been obliged
to increase its scope and activities by the provision of medical,
nursing and ambulance service facilities connected with the war
effort. These include the establishment, equipment and operation
of such Civil Defence Casualty Services as First Aid Posts (stationary
and mobile), Gas Cleansing Centres, Ambulance and Mortuary
Services. Two wartime Day Nurseries have provided care and
supervision for the children of women war workers. Medical Aid
Posts have supplied medical and nursing facilities for the occupants
of three large underground tunnel shelters. Special arrangements
have been in operation for the decontamination of food. The
different forms of enemy air activity, and the damage caused
thereby, have presented health and housing problems requiring
constant and vigilant attention by the sanitary department. The
evacuation of mothers and children to reception areas throughout
the country called for the institution of arrangements for the
medical inspection of large numbers of evacuees at very short
notice. These, and many allied services connected with the war
effort, have been provided in addition to the normal peace-time
health services by a depleted medical, nursing, sanitary and clerical
staff, who have been engaged in voluntary war work outside their
official hours of duty.