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2.
To the MAYOR, ALDERMEN and COUNCILLORS of the METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF
SHOREDITCH.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I apologise for the fact that my Annual Report is rather later than
usual, but this is due solely to the fact that it was unable to be completed
earlier owing to the late arrival of certain figures which we, in this
Department, regard as essential for making it complete.
I am pleased to be able to say in this report, (which is my final one
before reaching retiring age) that the usual vital statistics for the Borough
are better than average, in that the birth rate is up, death rate down,
infant mortality rate below 21, neo-natal mortality down to 13.4, with
(again) no maternal deaths, the one disconcerting figure being the rise in
stillbirths from 16 to 29. Infectious diseases were remarkable for their
absence, and the only deaths attributable to infection were 9 from tuberculosis.
This could be improved if people would only respond to the free
chest X Rays which are always available, and for which there will be a
special week at the Geffrye Museum at the end of September.
Although the death rate has improved in spite of the relatively large
number of old people in this Borough, I regret to have to say that the death
from cancer of the lung have risen from 20 to 35, and the deaths from
coronary thrombosis have increased from 63 to 89, some of these deaths now
occurring before the age of 45, and a larger number than formerly being among
women. As both these diseases are largely preventable by avoiding cigarette
smoking, and cancer of the lung capable of earlier diagnosis by X Ray
examination (thus making it more hopeful of successful treatment) their
increase would seem to indicate a failure of our poster campaign. But we
must bear in mind that it requires 20-25 years of abuse to produce a lung
cancer, and there are other causes of coronary thrombosis, though it has
been proved that if cigarette smoking is stopped even late in life, the
chances of developing these conditions are considerably reduced.
Suicides have trebled this year, although a total of 6 for this Borough
is not excessive in these days of turmoil, especially now that suicide is no
longer regarded as the criminal act that it has always been.
The more detailed report of the 1961 Census findings, published earlier
this year, shows several interesting points in Shoreditch which might be
briefly summarised here. For example, the population of the Borough had
dropped from 97,000 in 1931 to 45,000 in 1951, and. further to 40,500 in 1961
(it is now estimated even below 40,000 but the daytime population seems
greater than ever, especially on the roads.) In terms of Wards, Moorfields
has shrunk almost to 1,000, while Haggerston has actually increased, the
others spreading their decrease evenly. Despite the reduction in population
the figure for old age pensioners is still 5,665, of whom 9 were over 95
years old and 47 over 90.
I was somewhat surprised to find that, of these, 1,645 live entirely