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7
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Pancras Road, N.W. 1.
July, 1918.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of St. Pancras.
Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present to you the Sixty-second Annual Report on
the vital statistics and sanitary condition of the Sanitary District of St. Pancras,
including particulars of the year's work of the Public Health Department,
ihis is the fifth annual report that it has been my duiy to submit. It has
again been considerably abridged with a view to economy.
The fear 4 that were expressed by many a the outbreak of the war that there
would be a serious increa e in disease and mortality amongst the civil
population have up to the present time proved groundless. The mortali v
statistics have never been more satisfactory than during the « ar. The figures
for 1917 are not quite so good as in 1916 either as regards total deaths or
deaths of infants, but are better than in 1915.
In regard to infectious diseases the most striking feature has been the
remarkable decline in Scarlet Fever. Only 246 cases of this disease were
notified during the year, amongst which there were but 4 deaths. Contrasting
with this, the average annual number of cases notified in the 10 years 1890-99
was 1112, and the average annual number of deaths reported was 46, while the
corresponding figures for the ten years 1900-09 were 867 and 26. The other
infectious diseases were of about the usual prevalence, while ihere was a
continuance of the outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis which had occurred
during the two previous years.
The most serious effect of the war upon the population is thj great decrease
which has occurred in the births. In 1917 there were born in St Pancras
1721 fewer babies than in 1913, the last year of peace, a decrease of 31 per
cent. In the face of this loss of population the need for taking all possible
steps to prevent infant and other mortality is more obvious than ever.
The work in connection with the prevention of infant mortality has occupied
much attention during the year. Two additional health visitors were appointed
for visiting in connection with notified births and began work early in the year.
The activity of the voluntary centres increased greatly, and new centres were
opened in Falkland Road and Grafton Road, the latter in premises at the Public
Ba'hs lent for the purpose by your Council. More complete co-ordination
of their work with that of the Public Health Department has been
secured, and a Maternity and Child Welfare Committee, on which is
represented all the voluntary centres, formed as a sub-committee of the
Public Health Committee, to advise on all questions concerning the welfare
of mothers and young children. In this connection, ulso, the Public Health
Department co- operated in the successful efforts made in St. Pancra-s during
the first National Baby Week which was held in the summer,