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
Southgate 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southgate]
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Statistics and Social Conditions of the Area.
| Area (in acres) | 3,597 |
| Registrar-General's estimate of Resident Population, 1933 | 58,820 |
| Number of inhabited houses (end of 1933) according to Rate Books | 15,800 |
| Rateable value (1933) | £673,613 |
| Sum represented by a penny rate (1933) | £2,772 |
The social conditions of the district remain more or less
unaltered from those of the previous year, although there is some
evidence to show that conditions generally are improving in Southgate.
The Social Service Council continues to distribute clothing
and footwear to deserving recipients and has been the means of
securing employment for certain, at least, of the "black-coated"
workers resident in the district. A scrutiny of the statistics relating
to mortality, infectious disease and infantile mortality would
appear to show that Southgate has not suffered to any marked
extent from the recent financial depression, although, of course,
such statistics can be extremely misleading. If it were possible to
secure figures giving the general sickness rate among the whole
population, and particularly the children, such figures would yield
information of infinitely more value. At present, however, this is
not possible. Information obtained from the schools, nevertheless,
although not by any means complete, bears out the contention that
nutrition is satisfactory among our juvenile population. Anyone
comparing the appearance of the children attending our schools and
centres with those of areas more hardly hit than our own, could not
fail to be impressed by the high standard shown. We have been
most fortunate in this respect, and it only remains for us to maintain
the level by every means at our disposal.
Meteorology.—The total rainfall recorded by the Council's
rain-gauge in Broomfield Park measured 16.74 inches during 1933,
the daily average being 0.046 inches. The greatest fall in 24 hours
was on October 7th, when 0.73 inches were recorded, and the total
days on which no rain fell was 220. As will be seen, the total
rainfall and daily average were extremely low during 1933. Until
a fully-equipped meteorological station is installed, complete
statistics regarding sunshine, temperature, wind, etc., will not be
available. Such statistics would be extremely useful, and a station
of this type is long overdue in Southgate.
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