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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 presenting my Report for the year
1959 on the Public Health of the Borough of Woolwich, the
Report being on the lines requested by the Minister of
Health.
The Registrar-General's estimate of the home population
of the Borough was 144,800, being an increase of 200
on the previous year, and the first increase in population
in the Borough for seven years.
There was no significant change in the Borough's
birth and death rates and infant death rate. After the
startling rise in recent years in cancer deaths, it is
indeed pleasing to note that there was a drop of 30 in
the total cancer deaths in the Borough during the year.
Deaths from coronary heart diseases were however high,
as were deaths from pneumonia, bronchitis and influenza.
With regard to infectious diseases, apart from the
usual crop of measles notifications, the general incidence
was low. Despite the hot summer of 1959 there were fortunately
very few cases of poliomyelitis. This disease
has not been prevalent in Woolwich since the epidemic of
1955. No cases of diphtheria occurred, although some
dysentery was again troublesome.
With regard to the general work of the Health
Department during the year, it will be seen from the
section of this Report dealing with Clean Air that rapid
progress is being made by the Council in the establishment
of Smoke Control Areas. The task of bringing under Smoke
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