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1
TO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS OF
THE BOROUGH OF LEY TON.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present herewith my Annual Report on
the health, sanitary circumstances and vital statistics of the
Borough of Leyton during the year 1946.
The last official census of the population was taken in 1931,
when the population of the Borough of Leyton was shown to be
128,313 persons. As the census is taken at intervals of ten years,
there should have been one taken in 1941, but unfortunately it was
impossible owing to the war. During the inter-censal periods the
official population figure is an estimate made by the Registrar
General, who takes into consideration such factors as births, deaths,
migration, etc. Since the outbreak of war the National Registration
and the Food Office figures have provided a valuable check. During
the last pre-war year (1938) the Registrar General's estimate of the
population of Leyton was 117,200; and his estimated figure for the
first complete post-war year (1946) is 101,910.
The number of births registered in the Borough during 1946
was 2,223—the highest annual number registered since the year
1923, when the population was 132,800. In 1946 the birth-rate was
21.81 live births per thousand of the population; in 1923 the
corresponding rate was 17.53. The last year in which the birth
rate exceeded 21.81 was in 1920.
The infant mortality rate (i.e. the number of deaths of infants
under one year of age per thousand registered live births) in Leyton
for the year under review was 28.78—a new low record. The
previous lowest rate (31.65) was in 1939. In consequence of the
greater attention now being devoted by local authorities to the
care and welfare of illegitimate mothers and their children, it is
significant that the death rate of illegitimate infants (23.25) is less
than that of the legitimate (29.01).
In Table V (page 11) is shown the comparative birth rate,
death rate and infant mortality rate figures for England and Wales,
Great Towns, Smaller Towns and Leyton. On page 12 there is a
table showing how the population and vital statistics of Leyton
have varied during the last 55 years.
No outstanding epidemic of infectious disease occurred during
the year. The incidence of measles diminished from 797 notified