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PREFACE
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich.
Madam Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit the Fifty-first Annual Report on the health of
the Borough of Woolwich. The Report is again prepared along the lines indicated
by the Ministry of Health.
There was no serious outbreak of any infectious disease during the year, and
generally speaking, it can be said that the health of the Borough has remained
satisfactory.
The Registrar-General's estimate of the home population (which includes
members of the Forces stationed in the district) in mid-1951 was 149,800, being
800 more than the previous year's estimate. A preliminary census report for the
Borough has been issued, and this gives the population as 147,824, being 72,330
males and 75,494 females. The census figure is an increase of 943 on the 1931 census
figure.
Apart from the year 1940, total deaths of Woolwich residents (1,838) exceeded
those occurring in any year since 1918. This was partly due to an increase of 43
deaths from heart disease, but resulted principally from cases of pneumonia,
bronchitis and influenza which occurred in the first three months of the year.
Compared with the previous year, there were 41 more deaths from bronchitis and
more deaths from pneumonia and influenza occurring in persons over the age of 45
years. As will be seen from Table No. 4, the birth and death rates compare
favourably with the national rates and with those for the County of London.
Infant mortality at 27.7 is somewhat higher than in 1950 (24.4) there having been
10 more deaths of infants.
From the table on page 8 there will be seen details of the increased number
of deaths occurring locally from cancer of the lung and bronchus. Since 1945,
whilst the total number of deaths from cancer has been almost equal in men and
in women, 82 per cent. of the deaths of Woolwich persons from cancer of the lung
and bronchus were in men. There is evidence that this is not peculiar to Woolwich.
A number of explanations have been proffered, and it has been pointed out in The
Lancet that deaths from cancer of the lung and bronchus in the majority of the
Metropolitan Boroughs were, during 1950, more numerous than deaths from respiratory
tuberculosis.
With regard to infectious diseases, the number of confirmed cases of poliomyelitis
showed a reduction compared with the experiences of the past two years, when
there were over 50 confirmed cases each year. This year only four of the cases
notified were subsequently confirmed.
Woolwich has again been without a confirmed case of diphtheria, and the
credit for this must go to the work being carried out locally to see that the majority
of children are immunised. However, in spite of efforts to emphasise the value
of immunisation, it is apparent that the number of children being immunised has
dropped considerably during the past two or three years, and the neglect of those
parents concerned gives rise to some anxiety. Despite the lack of cases locally,
it is timely to appeal to all parents to avail themselves of the immunisation service
and thus do their part in trying to avoid a future recurrence of this dangerous and
insidious disease.
There was no serious outbreak of food poisoning occurring in the Borough,
the cases notified being confined to three or four families.
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