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11
TO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS OF THE
BOROUGH OF LEY TON
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit this my twenty-seventh Annual Report
on the health, sanitary circumstances and vital statistics of the Borough of
Leyton during the year 1954. The Report also contains information
regarding the health services administered by Leyton Health Area Subcommittee
and Leyton Committee for Education on behalf of Essex County
Council.
The Annual Report of a Medical Officer of Health contains of necessity
much information in the form of figures and dry facts required by Central
and Local Government Departments, and such information makes dull
reading. But in the body of the Report there are extracts from many special
reports submitted by me during the year to the Council, and it is hoped that
they will be found to contain general observations on aspects of the public
health services which are of sufficient current interest to merit special
attention.
Meteorological.
From the meteorological point of view 1954 will be remembered as an
exceptionally dull, cold and wet year—the worst since 1941 and the worst
summer since 1890, with a marked deficiency of sunshine from May to
August (inclusive). In spite of these adverse climatic conditions the year
was a relatively healthy one in which endemic infectious diseases were at a
low ebb.
Vital Statistics.
From the vital statistics it will be seen that the gradual but progressive
decline in the population since 1949 still continues. The birth rate, which
reached its post-war maximum in 1947, has now declined almost to the level
of the lowest pre-war figure.
Before relinquishing my official appointment I had hoped to be able
to furnish an account of my stewardship in the form of an historical survey
showing the great expansion that took place in Leyton's health services
during the 11 years before the outbreak of war, the growth and decay of the
civil defence and other emergency medical services during the six war years,
and the post-war changes brought about by the Education Act, 1944 and the
National Health Service Act, 1946. Unfortunately there is available neither
the time nor the space for such a survey, and in the meantime all I can do is
to compare a few salient vital statistics to-day with those in my first Annual
Report to your Council some 27 years ago.
Infectious Diseases.
Since 1928 the annual number of persons notified to be suffering from
tuberculosis has fallen from 180 to 77, and there has been a very marked
reduction in the annual number of deaths from tuberculosis—from 97 in 1928
to 11 in 1954 (i.e., to nearly a ninth part of what it was).