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
Wood Green 1963
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wood Green]
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Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Wood Green, N. 22.
To THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN and COUNCILLORS
of the BOROUGH OP WOOD GREEN.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present the Annual Report for 1963.
In the vital statistics for 1963 a highly satisfactory
feature is the steep drop in the infant mortality rate to 16.75.
The birth rate, with 896 live births, was 19.0 per 1,000 of population.
The death rate was 12.39, slightly higher than last years
figures of 12.23.
There were no maternal deaths during 1963.
The infantile mortality rate, i.e. the number of infants who
died during the first year of life per 1,000 live births fell from
29.5 to 16.75, a very satisfactory record.
Two trends referred to in last years report a rising birth rate and an increase in the illegitimate birth rate, are again evidenced this year as is shown in the following tables
| Birth Rate | Illegitimate Birth Rate as % of total live births | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | 13.4 | 1959 | 5.33% |
| 1960 | 13.8 | 1960 | 5.05% |
| 1961 | 14.1 | 1961 | 8.10% |
| 1962 | 13.8 | 1962 | 9.12% |
| 1963 | 14.5 | 1963 | 11.05% |
The number of infectious diseases notified during 1963 was
650 as against 362 last year, This was accounted for largely by
the increase in the number of cases of measles.
There were 4 deaths from tuberculosis in 1963 all aged over
55, these being the only deaths from notifiable disease.
There were no notifications of poliomyelitis nor of diphtheria
during the year under review. The last case of poliomyelitis
occurred in 1959, five years ago, and the last case of diphtheria
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