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Health Department,
Town Hall, N. 15.
To the Worshipful the Mayor,
Aldermen and Councillors
of the Borough of Tottenham.
Mr. Mayor, My Lady, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my report on the health of the Borough for
the year ended the 31st December, 1954.
In addition to a summary of the work of the department, the report
includes an appendix giving an account of local administration of the personal
health services.
Vital statistics
The population as estimated by the Registrar-General at mid-1954 was
123,200, a deficit of 1,200 on the figure supplied for mid-1953. The birthrate
per 1,000 population was 12.37 and the number of registered live births
1,524; of which 1,141 occurred in institutions. There were 36 (44 in 1953)
still-births giving a still-birth rate of 23.08 per 1,000 total births. The
total number of civilian deaths - 1,187 - was lower than last year's figure of
1,347 and the general death rate of 9. 63 per 1,000 estimated population,
proved to be near a new low record. Of the causes of death 21% were due to
cancer: the death rate from this disease having increased from 0.42 to 2.04
during the past fifty years. Nearly half the total deaths were classified as
caused by 'diseases of the heart and circulation' of which 33.8% were due to
coronary disease. The infant mortality rate of 17.7 was a new low record as
also was the maternal mortality rate of 0. 64.
Infectious diseases
The number of notifications during the year was the lowest ever recorded
in the thorough. No serious outbreak occurred. Of the thirty-one notified
cases of food poisoning, thirteen were confirmed as salmonella typhi-murium
infections. One case of Enteric Fever occurred and in this case the wife of
the patient was found to be a "carrier" of the disease.
Food Control
This occupied the close attention of the Department; particular attention
being given to school canteens and kitchen premises. Interest in food
hygiene was maintained by regular and systematic visits to food premises and
publicity through health education procedures. Decontrol of slaughtering of
meat in 1954 resulted in the opportunity to reopen private slaughterhouses.
In three cases licence to slaughter was refused and in another was made