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2.
To the MAYOR, ALDERMEN and COUNCILLORS of the METROPOLITAN BOROUGH of SHOREDI TCH.
Mr, Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
This report for the calendar year 1956 follows the lines adopted recently,
with a few changes as suggested in the Ministry of Health Circular 19/56.
I am glad to be able to report that the Borough's "health" figures fully
maintained, and in places surpassed, the high level set in 1951, but, the health
of seaside resorts having meantime improved, we are now displaced by several of
them! Although there is a slight reduction in population and in the number of
births, this is all to the good when the area of the Borough is considered, as
overcrowding has in the past been a notorious feature here. The figure for the
infant death rate (the numbers dying under the age of one year, out of every 1,000
born alive) at 16.5 is only fractionally above the best ever; the (adjusted) death
rate in general is the best ever; tuberculosis exacted the lowest toll known
in the history of the Borough (0.11 in all 'forms, as against 0.33 even last year);
for the fifth year in succession, no death occurred in connection with childbirth,
and even the deaths from cancer of the lung decreased from 35 to 29. (The Polio
death was from 1955 outbreak, and the 7 notified were mild). Similar reductions
occurred with most other causes of death, with one notable exception - the same one
that I mentioned last year. It may be recalled that I was alarmed by the
increase from 44 to 73 in the deaths from coronary thrombosis. This figure again
rose sharply to exactly 100 deaths in the year, 50 in each sex, the greater part
of them occurring so suddenly that they were subjected to post-mortem examination
on the Coroner's instruction. This disposes of the theory put to me that the
increased numbers were due to mere popularity of this diagnosis, for imagination
plays a very small part in autopsies, especially when ordered by the Coroner, as
these are performed by Home Office pathologists. The importance of this disease
is emphasised by the fact that "World Health Day" this year was devoted to "Food
and Health", following the assembly by the World Health Organisation of a study
group on coronary thrombosis and allied diseases, All seem agreed that excess
animal fats are a potent cause while vegetable and fish fats tend to reduce the
risk of the disease. As they suggested individual research into the matter, I
contacted the relatives of these proved cases in Shoreditch and am grateful for
their co-operation, I came to the conclusion, even in these comparatively few
cases, that there was one type in the "worrier" (admittedly not common in the
Shoreditch cases to date) and that this kind seemed independent of the nature or
amount of food eaten; but that most of the others affected seemed to be heavy
eaters of fatty foods. There were no inherited cases of the type so frequent in
the professions. The advice of the W.H.O.Gp is "moderation in everything", and
this should strike home especially in Shoreditch where one of its favourite
citizens sang "A little of what you fancy does you good" - but now the emphasis
must be on the word ''little".
The notifications of infectious disease were all fewer than in 1955, with
the exception of Pneumonia in elderly people (which was scarcely surprising when
the weather in 1956 is compared with the average). There was also a slight
increase in TB notifications - 46 versus 44 - but these again were chiefly over
45 years of age (26 opposed to 12!)? Mass Radiography.