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4
Public Health Department,
43, White Horse Road,
Stepney, E.l.
30th June, 1939.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney.
Your Worship, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit to you my Annual Report on the health
and sanitary conditions of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney for the
year 1938.
The statistics for the year under review show that the infantile mortality
rate is one of the lowest on record in the Borough, viz., 62.2 per 1,000 live
births.
The maternal mortality rate was 2.22 per 1,000 live and still births.
There were six maternal deaths.
Infectious disease notifications numbered 2,235. The biennial measles
epidemic occurred this year and accounts for 844 of the above cases, and
whooping cough for 102.
Up to the 30th September measles was notifiable in children up to 5
years of age only, and whooping cough was not notifiable. After that date
both measles and whooping cough were made notifiable at all ages. Were
it not for these alterations in notification and for the biennial measles epidemic,
the total number of infectious diseases notified would have been 146 less than
last year.
There were 244 fewer cases of diphtheria and 9 deaths from the disease,
and 13 fewer cases of scarlet fever with 2 deaths from the disease.
There was no smallpox.
One case of anthrax occurred and one of undulant fever, and both
recovered.
Forty-one cases of dysentery occurred with no deaths. The cases were
mostly of the mild Sonne type which was common in the Borough last year
and often not diagnosed owing to its mild nature.
There were 43 fewer deaths from tuberculosis.
A small group of typhoid cases occurred in the Borough in the latter
part of 1937 and the earlier part of this year, causing some little anxiety for
a time, but precautionary measures were early adopted of a sufficiently comprehensive
nature and the cases were limited to 11 with no deaths. One
case which died in 1937 appeared to be connected with some of the 1938
cases.
*****
The Registrar General estimates a fall in the population of the Borough
of 2,600. The Birth Rate was 13.06 compared with 13.5 last year, and the
Death Rate 11.05 compared with 12.2.
*****
Dr. E. J. O'Keeffe resigned from the position of Deputy Medical Officer
of Health on the 31st December, 1938. Dr. J. W. Crawford, who commenced