View report page

PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT,
43, White Horse Road,
STEPNEY, E.l.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney.
Your Worship, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to present my annual report for the year 1944.
The report is again abridged in accordance with the directions
of the Ministry of Health.
The Registrar-General's estimate of the population of the
borough for the mid-year 1944 was 73,030. The population figures
from the last more- war year were as follows:- 1938, 200,500;
1939, 197,200; 1940, 136,030; 1941, 75,010; 1942, 71,980;
1943, 72,920.
The birth rate decreased from 18.8 in 1943 to 17.8 in
1944.
The death rate was slightly higher than last year, 19.5
compared with 18.7.
It is a pleasure to report that for the first time in the
history of the borough there were no maternal deaths.
The infantile mortality rate per 1000 live births was
56.6 compared with 53.2 last year.
There was only one death from diphtheria and one from
scarlet fever, nil from measles and 6 from whooping cough.
Violent deaths rose from 51 in 1943 to 166 in 1944, largely
due to flying bombs and rockets.
Compared with last year there were 781 less cases of
infectious diseases notified, mainly decreases in measles,
scarlet fever and pneumonia. Notifications of measles decreased
from 918 in 1943 to 201 in 1944, scarlet fever from 194 to 100
and pneumonia from 124 to 65.
Whooping cough increased compared with last year from 142
to 245 and diphtheria from 45 to 47.
There were no cases of smallpox or enteric fever. There
were 2 cases of puerperal fever and 7 of puerperal pyrexia, all
of which recovered.
185 cases of tuberculosis were notified during the year,
being 83 less than last year, and 96 deaths, being 19 less than
last year.
An interesting special survey of the coloured persons in the
borough will be found in the body of the report.
All the health services continued throughout the year but
the attendances at the war-time day nurseries and the diphtheria
immunisation clinic were interfered with because of the flying
bombs and rockets.
The scabies clinic continued t be very busy throughout the
year and I received much help from Dr.R.M.Orpwood and Dr.Tracy
who undertook the diagnostic duties during the afternoon and
evening sessions.
The ruinruennial inspection of basement bakehouses under
the factories Act 1937 was made in the early part of this year.
Of the 69 basement bakehouses granted certificates in 1903/4
only 23 remain.
(1)