View report page

WANSTEAD AND WOODFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL.
ANNUAL REPORT
of the
MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
for the Year Ending 31st December, 1940.
In the year under review the public health in this district remained
satisfactory and the incidence of infectious disease very low.
Whilst at the beginning of the war, a number of people left the
district, there has been since then a considerable influx of people from
inner London. At the same time, the further call-up both of men and women
has resulted in a loss of some of our pre-war inhabitants, and on balance
our population decreased. The Registrar-General's estimate population at
the middle of 1939 was 55,880, whilst in 1940 the figure given bv him was
48,620.
It will be noticed that the birth rate has fallen and the death rate
has increased. This increase in death rate is accounted for by deaths due
to enemy action. The deaths of infants under one year of age have fallen
from 37.8 per cent. to 31.8 per cent. as calculated per 1,000 live births.
There was also a fall in the proportion of stillbirths. The latter is
remarkable in view of war conditions.
Section A. Statistics and Social Conditions of the Area.
Area (in acres) 3,824
Registrar-General's estimate of resident population, 1940 48,620
Number of inhabited houses (end of 1940) according to Rate Books 16,400
Rateable value (end of 1940) £578,771
Sum represented by a penny rate (1940-41) £2,216
Extracts from Vital Statistics of the Year.
Live Births.
(a) for calculating birth rates.
Legitimate Males 324 Females 270 Total 594
Illegitimate Males 7 Females 10 Total 17
Total Males 331 Females 280 Total 611