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1
Public Health Department,
Parkshot,
Richmond.
August, 1951.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Borough of Richmond (Surrey).
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present the Annual Report of the Medical
Officer of Health for the year 1950, upon the Sanitary Circumstances,
Sanitary Administration and Vital Statistics of the Borough.
The form of the report is in accordance with the requirements
of the Ministry of Health and special reference is made to certain
subjects at the Minister's request. In other respects the report
retains its usual form; additional information and explanatory notes
being inserted after the statistical tables.
The vital statistics show that there was no serious prevalence
of infectious or controllable disease during the year. The incidence
of measles was high but generally the course of the disease was
mild. Whooping Cough again caused considerable distress but the
number of cases was less than during the preceding year. There
were six cases of poliomyelitis of which two were mild, two moderate
and two severe. Although the death rate of tuberculosis has not
fallen to the same extent as in most other towns the actual number
of notifications of new cases was considerably less than in 1949.
The Birth Rate has fallen to 15.1 per thousand of the population.
After reaching a peak in 1947 there has been a tendency
for the birth rate to decline. It is satisfactory to note that the
Infant Mortality rate has also declined and has fallen to the lowest
level ever recorded.
I am indebted to Mr. B. Aisthorpe, Chief Sanitary Inspector,
for his report on the Sanitary Inspection of the area. The full
establishment of Inspectors was maintained throughout the year,
and the figures show that an immense amount of work has been
carried out. A rodent officer was newly appointed to the staff.
The report shows that the local organisation worked smoothly and
that considerable progress was made in destroying rats and mice in
properties and sewers throughout the Borough.