View report page

3
PREFACE.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit the 47th Annual Report on the health of the
Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich which, in accordance with the instructions
of the Minister of Health, is again in an abridged form.
The health of the Borough remained good throughout the year. The
incidence of infectious disease generally again remained low. For the third year
in succession the notifications of measles (easily the most prevalent of the infectious
diseases) were over 1,000 (1,183). Since the war the biennial periodicity of this
disease has been upset. It may well be that this is due to the abnormal movements
of the child population during and since the war, resulting in a variation of the
usual pattern of the yearly number of susceptibles at risk. There was a slight
increase in the number of cases of scarlet fever but the disease remained of a
mild nature. The number of confirmed cases of diphtheria (7) was again the lowest
ever recorded.
There were no deaths from diphtheria and no deaths from whooping cough.
Extraordinarily the only death from measles—one of the most serious diseases
of childhood—occurred in a woman of 57 years of age.
The number of scabies' notifications again showed a remarkable decrease, being
less than half the number of the previous year. It appears that this disease, which
was a problem of shelter life, is now receding to its pre-war level.
The epidemic of poliomyelitis, which affected the whole of the country in the
summer and early autumn, was also apparent in the Borough but fortunately to
a lesser extent than in many other areas. The total number of confirmed cases
was 23, the highest incidence occurring in the week ending 16th August during
which there were 7 confirmed cases. Precautionary measures were taken and advice
given through the Council's services and the local Press. Among the precautions,
the attendance rules for welfare centres were relaxed and children's functions
curtailed. The special film on the disease was shown to several gatherings of
local doctors.
Poliomyelitis is a serious disease, but it must not be assumed that an attack
must automatically mean death or crippling for life. These disasters do unfortunately
occur, but they are by no means inevitable. Of the 23 cases, 3 cases
had serious remaining paralysis, 3 had some paralysis preventing complete
participation in all activities, the remaining 17, for practical purposes, recovered
completely. There were no deaths.
The Registrar-General's estimate of the mid-1947 population shows an
increase of 5,730 over that of 1946. The total births, which for many years have
been around 2,000 per annum, jumped to 2,903 in 1946 and to 3,193 in 1947. This
is the first time there has been more than 3,000 births per annum since 1921. The
increase is reflected in the birth rate of 22.8. This large number of births kept your
maternity and baby welfare services employed to the full throughout the year ;
in spite of this pressure it is most gratifying to report that the infantile mortality