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PREFACE
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich.
MR. MAYOR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
I have pleasure in submitting the Fifty-Sixth Annual Report on
the health of the Borough of Woolwich. The report is on the
general lines indicated by the Minister.
The Registrar General's estimate of the mid-year population
for the Borough is 147,500, being 1,000 less than the previous
year's figure. The death rate was 10.4 and the birth rate 13.2,
similar figures to the previous year. I am pleased to report that
there were no maternal deaths in 1956 and that the infant death rate
continues very favourable. The 37 infant deaths were due mainly to
premature birth, atelectasis and bronchitis.
Malignant diseases were responsible for 313 deaths, of which
176 were in men and 137 in women. Further information will be
found in Tables 2-4 and 6 in the body of the Report.
The incidence of infectious disease was low. Of the total of
1,338 notifications received, 524 were for dysentery, 234 for
measles, 208 for whooping cough and 114 for scarlet fever. The
outbreak of sonne dysentery required much time and attention in its
control.
The large number of notifications of poliomyelitis of the
previous year was, fortunately, not repeated in 1956, there being
very few cases in the Borough. A start was made with inoculation
against poliomyelitis during the year to a limited number of
children. American evidence, and evidence so far available in
this country both support the view that in the great majority of
cases the vaccine gives a good measure of protection from the effects
of paralytic poliomyelitis.
There were again no cases of diphtheria in the Borough, but the
percentage of protected children still needs to be increased. The
assumption of too many parents that diphtheria is a thing of the past
is dangerous and false all the time that too many children remain
unimmunised.
Public Health covers a wide field and apart from infectious
disease, may be divided broadly into general public health inspection,
housing and slum clearance, supervision of the food supplies, clean
air administration, old people's welfare work and health education
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