View report page

Public Health Department
Elmfield Hotise,
High Street,
Tedding ton.
To the MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS
OF THE BOROUGH OP TWICKENHAM
Ladles and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my Annual Report on the
public health and sanitary condition of the Borough during the
year ending 31st December, 1943, The report is again condensed
for economy of paper, and again certain tables and figures have
been omitted,
The strain of war, overwork, fatigue and inconvenience
continued throughout 1943; although the health of the people
remained remarkably good it will occasion no surprise to note
evidence of mental and physical fatigue. The death rate gives
some index of vitality; It was a little higher than in 194212,3
as compared with 11.6. The lowest death rate for the
Borough was 9.81 in 1938. The rates since 1938 have all been
higher, with 1940 a peak year owing to enemy action. The birth
rate in 1943 reached 17.7 per thousand of the estimated resident
population, which is a record. There were 121 more births than
in 1942; the number of Illegitimate births rose still higher to
a total of 108 - also a record. The infantile mortality (deaths
of infants per thousand live births) showed a reduction, but the
still-birth rate was slightly higher, The deaths of illegitimate
Infants showed a substantial fall from 102.3 in 1942 to 64.8 in
1943, but there is room for much improvement in the still-birth
and Infant mortality rates. There was a distressing increase
in the maternal mortality rate. Towards the end of the year the
influenza epidemic accounted for a number of deaths, especially
In old people, which otherwise might not have occurred; the
effect of the epidemic Is reflected In the general death rate.
Diphtheria was a new low record for the Borough, It
has been shown that the age dist-ribution of the mortality from
diphtheria indicates that the reduction is due to immunization.
Heart disease continued to claim the greatest number of victims;
cancer showed an unwelcome Increase,- with a number of deaths
from breast cancer which ought to be capable of reduction.
There were 15 deaths of infants under two years of age from
diarrhoea - a figure -which also ought to be capable of reduction.
Deaths from tuberculosis were slightly down, but the number of
notifications of new cases was slightly increased. A special
report on tuberculosis was presented to the Council during the
year and was favourably received. It resulted in the introduction
of some useful measures for helping in the fight against
tuberculosis.
We are promised, important changes in the medical
arrangements for Improving the health.of the people. I trust these
arrangements will providb- for a closer liaison and understanding
between the practitioners, voluntary hospitals and local authority
medical services. It is likely that good would come from
regular consultations between these three groups. The healthiness
or otherwise of any person depends on so many factors; there
is great need for pooling all knowledge for research and
Investigation, to determine'how the healthiness of the people can
be improved. There is as yet no simple yard-stick for determining
whether eaoh of us enjoys the highest state of health
' attainable. To achieve optimum healthiness for everyone requires
-2-