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ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
MEDICAL OFFICER
OF HEALTH
1958
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Wimbledon, S.W.19.
(WIMbledon 6262)
August, 1959.
To The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Borough of Wimbledon.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit the Annual Report on the work of the
Public Health Department for the year 1958. This Report is compiled
in accordance with the instructions contained in Circular 22/58 of the
Ministry of Health and is on similar lines to previous years.
I am pleased to report that the health of the Borough during 1958
was good and there were no special outbreaks of infectious disease.
The live birth rate for Wimbledon in 1958 shewed a slight increase
at 13.24 per thousand of the population compared with 13.16 in 1957.
The rate for England and Wales for the year was 16.4. Five per cent. of
the total live births were illegitimate.
The death rate from all causes per thousand total population increased
slightly at 9.89 compared with 9.61 in 1957. Although higher
than for the preceding year, this is one of the lowest death rates yet
recorded in Wimbledon. The excess of births over deaths was 124
compared with 138 in the previous year.
One maternal death occurred, giving a maternal mortality rate of
1.29 per thousand live and still births.
Deaths of infants under one year numbered fifteen, giving an
infantile mortality rate of 18.89 per thousand live births. This compares
with a rate of 22.6 for England and Wales.
The principal cause of death was once again heart disease, especially
coronary disease which again shewed an increase, there being 130
deaths from this cause compared with 118 in 1957. The total number
of deaths from cancer also shewed an increase over last year and was
the second greatest cause of death. The number of deaths from cancer
of the lung was the same as for 1957 but the proportion of male cancer
deaths attributed to cancer of the lung shewed an increase.
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