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Public Health Department,
White Hart Lane (Old) School
Wood Green, N.22.
June, 1956.
To The MAYOR ALDERMEN and COUNCILLORS,
of the BOROUGH OF WOOD GREEN.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to present the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of
Health for the year 1955.
1955 was once again a placid year, indeed, I did not find it
necessary to report any untoward occurrences, epidemics or even
outbreaks to the Public Health Committee during the period under
review.
The vital statistics for the year are satisfactory. The birth
rate rose very slightly from 11.03 to 11.7. The death rate fell
to an equally slight degree from 10.43 to 10.3. The infant death
rate, that is the number of deaths of infants under one year of
age per thousand live births, fell from 26.6 to 23.6. This drop,
although pleasing, has very little significance, bearing in mind
the comparatively small totals involved No death took place from
puerperal causes during the year, indeed, no mothers died during
or after childbirth. The last maternal death in Wood Green took
place in 1953. Since then 1,156 births have taken place in the
Borough Altogether, as I have just remarked, the vital statistics
for the Borough are satisfactory.
I feel I must once again point out, however, that vital
statistics can be extremely misleading Indeed, as has so often
been said, statistics can be used to prove almost anything. The
bald figures set out in the above paragraph by no means tell the
whole story. This, the fact that no maternal deaths have taken
place in Wood Green since 1953 is in startling contrast to what
used to take place not so many years ago. In those days maternal
deaths particularly deaths from puerperal sepsis, were all too
common Within the past few years, very strict ante-natal supervision
great advances in midwifery and the introduction of the
new antibiotics have completely revolutionised the situation,
Nowadays, a maternal death is considered to be a prime tragedy.
Every case is very fully investigated, as we now appreciate that,
in a properly organised society,maternal deaths should be regarded
as a most disturbing phenomenon. In the same way, the great and
steady reduction in infant mortality which has taken place over
the past few decades is most pleasing. I have already stated that
the totals relating to Wood Green are too small to have any lasting
significance. On the other hand, the fact that the rate has
fallen over a substantial period and is low compared with pre-war
or even post-war years is perhaps, a happy augury for the future.
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