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15
TO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS OF
THE BOROUGH OF LEYTON.
Me. 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 1953. The Report is drawn up
in accordance with the instruction contained in Article 17(5) of the
Sanitary Officers (Outside London) Regulations (1935), and on the
lines required by Ministry of Health Circular 1/54 of January, 1954.
The Report also contains information regarding the services
administered by Leyton Health Area Sub-Committee and by Leyton
Committee for Educatiorf on behalf of Essex County Council.
In previous years I have endeavoured to include in this
preamble a short survey of matter contained in the body of the
Report, but with the ever increasing scope and duties of the Health
Department it has become more difficult and more invidious to
select material for such an introductory survey. The following
pages contain of necessity much information in the form of figures
and facts required by the Ministries of Health and Education, but
they also contain general observations and special reports by
members of the staff on many aspects of the Health Services which
are of current interest and are considered to merit special attention.
On page 2 will be found an index designed to facilitate easy
reference to special subjects.
From the table of vital statistics on page 24 it will be seen
that the post-war increase in the population of Leyton was short
lived, and that the gradual but progressive decline in population
since 1949 still continues. The birth rate, which reached its postwar
maximum in 1947, has declined since then almost to the level
of the lowest pre-war figure. No Leyton mother died from causes
connected with pregnancy and childbirth, and the Leyton infantile
mortality rate (23.45) is lower than the comparative rates for the
country as a whole, London, and the great towns. The high death
rate of 19.66 per thousand is due to a new method of calculation
introduced by the Registrar-General (see page 19) whereby Leyton
is credited with the deaths of over eight hundred residents from
other areas who died in Lanethorne Hospital during the year.
As far as vital statistics show, the health of the people in the
Borough remains remarkably good ; but medical officers, sanitary