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THE COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF SOUTHALL, 1951
HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR
*ALDERMAN F. G. SMITH, J.P.
Deputy Mayor:
Alderman J. Lowe.
t*gardner, F. E.
Hamblin, E. B.
Aldermen:
Hopkins, W. H.
*Lowe, J.
*Luckett, F. H.
Smith, F. G., J.P.
Councillors:
Barrett, J.
†*Bidwell, S. J.
†*cavell, Mrs. I., J.P.
(Chairman, Health
Committee.)
cullingworth, F. A.
*Dane, A. T.
Dormer, J. G. P.
Douglas, H. C.
*Errington, F. G.
*Haigh, J.
Love, P. J.
Lye, A. E.
Marks, F. J.
*Salmon, J.
*Shepherd, A. H.
Steele, T. J.
Ward, J. H.
White, H. J.
* Williams, Mrs. V. G. I.
* Members of the Public Health Committee.
† Members of the Area Health Committee (Area No. 9).
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Borough of Southall.
MR. MAYOR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
I have the honour to present the 55th Annual Report on the health and circumstances
of the population of the Borough of Southall, for the year 1951. The health of the people
continued to be good.
The birth rate which has been falling every year since 1946 was 12 69, as compared
with 14.19 in 1950. It was well below the national birth rate which in 1951 was 15.5 for
the whole of England and Wales. The fall in the birth rate which is causing concern in
many quarters because of the likelihood of an ageing population creating social difficulties
in the course of the next 20 or 30 years is not, however, to our disadvantage at the present
time, as it is to be hoped that the fall recorded over the past few years will enable some of
the ravages of war, and problems, occasioned by the high birth rate which occurred towards
the end of the war years, and in the immediate years following, to be overcome. For example
a falling birth rate will lessen the overcrowding of houses, providing the building programme
is maintained, and will improve conditions of school overcrowding which have had such
bad effects on the education of the children.
There was an increase in the death rate from 8.52 in 1950 to 9.91 in 1951. This,
however, compared very favourably with the corresponding figure for the whole country,
which was 12.5. Heart disease and cancer were again the principal causes of death. The
infant mortality rate of 21.25 deaths per 1,000 live births is the lowest ever recorded in the
Borough, and considerably below the national figure for infant mortality in 1951, which was
29-6. Four of the 15 deaths on which the infant mortality is calculated died because of
congenital malformation which would not be preventable in the present state of medical
knowledge.
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