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6
investigation, coming as it did in the early days of my service as Medical
Officer of Health, for it brought to my notice imperfections, here and there, of
which I might never have become aware or of which it might have taken
me years to become so. His report was issued on 17th September and with
very few exceptions his recommendations were adopted by the Council on
24th October. The chief improvements were in respect of the system of
timekeeping and booking at the Disinfecting Station, the financial arrangements
at the Council's Infant Welfare Centres and the Council's Milk Scheme.
It is satisfactory to know that these matters are now on an improved basis.
The main features of the year, so far as the vital statistics and the incidence
of disease are concerned, were as follows:-
The number of births further decreased by 20 (legitimate 25 less,
illegitimate 5 more). Owing to the estimated decrease in population
the birth-rate rose to 15.3 as compared with 15.1 last year.
The crude death-rate decreased from 12.9 last year to 12.3 this year,
there being 171 fewer deaths. The Registrar-General has produced a
Comparability Factor for adjusting the local crude Death Rates for
1931 and subsequent years. In order to make a strict comparison of
Stepney's death-rate with that of the country as a whole, it is necessary
to multiply the crude death-rate by 1.17. Stepney's Comparable Death
Rate for 1934 is therefore 14.3.
It is naturally rather perturbing to have to report an increase in the
Maternal and Infantile Mortality and in the deaths as a result of Measles.
I report at length on these matters elsewhere in this report, but I
want to say a few more words here about Maternal Mortality. Quite
rightly this subject is causing a good deal of attention at the present time,
but I do want to emphasise a word of warning against pushing the
propaganda too far. By all means let us consider the matter very
seriously, both from an administrative and from a technical point of view,
and let us do all in our power to improve our Maternity Services, but I
do deprecate the impression which is being broadcast that child-bearing
is dangerous. If the dangers of child-birth continue to be exaggerated,
women will either take good care that they have no children or will
resort to means of ridding themselves of the so-called danger at the
earliest possible moment, only to place themselves for the first time in
real definite danger.