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To the
MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS
OF THE
BOROUGH OF SOUTHGATE.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present to you the Annual Report for the
year 1935.
The year under review was expected to be one in which a
Survey Report was submitted, but the Ministry of Health has not
required that this should be the case. As, however, five years have
now elapsed since a full report was issued on the health conditions
of the district, and as those five years have almost exactly coincided
with my tenure of office as Medical Officer of Health, I have
incorporated several tables setting out the statistics for the previous
quinquennium and have also included, where necessary, a brief
review of conditions prevailing during that period.
With regard to 1935, the vital statistics make very satisfactory
reading, indeed the year has been one of the best from a health
standpoint for quite a period. The death rate has fallen, the birth
rate shows a slight inorease, the zymotic death rate and maternal
mortality show marked decreases, while the infectious sickness rate
has also declined considerably. The infant mortality is slightly
raised, but is still well below that for England and Wales.
Apart from the fall in the number of infectious diseases
notified, there has also been a very marked decrease in the incidence
of non-notifiable infectious diseases within the Borough, particularly
with respect to measles.
Until figures are available which will show the general sickness
rate among all age groups of the population, it is impossible to
present a complete picture of the health of any district. This
information is long overdue and would be of enormous advantage
with regard to such an area as Southgate. At the moment it is
only possible to say that, from information available, general sickness
within the Borough is maintained at a comparatively low level.
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