London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Penge 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Penge]
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| Area (Acres) | 770 |
| Population (Census 1931) | 27,771 |
| Population (Census 1951) | 25,012 |
| Home Population, Mid-year 1959 (estimated by Registrar-General) | 25,670 |
| Rateable Value, 1st April, 1959 | £354,259 |
| Sum represented by 1d. rate | £1,476 |
The district, situated on the north-west border of Kent, and immediately
adjoining the Counties of London and Surrey, is on the slope of a hill, the highest
point being 370 feet above sea level and the lowest 95 feet above sea level.
The density of population per acre is 33, this being by far the highest in the
County of Kent. This results in there being very few open spaces in the district,
the largest one being the grounds of the old Crystal Palace the majority of
which are in this area. This density of building has caused a shortage of space
for school playing fields for the schools of the district and pupils mainly have to
go outside the area for games.
The Manager of the Employment Exchange for the area informs me that
there were 71 men and 22 women in the Penge area registered as unemployed
at the end of the year.
| Live births | 569 |
| Live birth rate per 1,000 population | 22.1 |
| Stillbirths | 11 |
| Stillbirth rate per 1,000 live and still births | 18.9 |
| Total live and still births | 580 |
| Infant deaths | 11 |
| Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births | 19.3 |
| Infant mortality rate per 1,000 legitimate live births | 20.5 |
| Infant mortality rate per 1,000 illegitimate live births | 0.0 |
| Neo-natal mortality rate per 1,000 live births | 19.3 |
| Early neo-natal mortality rate per 1,000 live births | 15.8 |
| Peri-natal mortality rate per 1,000 live and still births | 34.5 |
| Illegitimate live births per cent of the total live births | 5.6 |
| Maternal deaths (including abortion) | 1 |
| Maternal mortality rate per 1,000 live and still births | 1.7 |
Births
The live births registered during the year numbered 569 compared with
528 in 1958. This gives a crude live birth rate of 22.2 per 1,000 Home
Population compared with 20.6 for 1958.
The area comparability factor calculated by the Registrar-General for the
purpose of securing comparability between local births is 0.91. This makes the
Adjusted Birth Rate 20.2 compared with 18.5 for 1958.