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4
Public Health Department,
43, White Horse Street, Stepney, London, E.l.
May, .1933.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and, Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present to you my third annual report on the vital
statistics and sanitary condition of the Borough of Stepney for the year 1932.
A survey by an official of the Ministry of Health on the Public Health
services of the Borough was undertaken during the months of May to July.
I his dealt with the whole of the Public Health Department (including the
1 uberculosis and Maternity Sections), Public Cleansing, etc. The report of
the Ministry of Health dated 4th November, states:—
"I am directed by the Minister of Health to state that he has had
under consideration the report made by his officers after their recent survey
of the public health services of the Council. It appears that, so far as
can be judged from a general survey, a reasonable standard of efficiency
is being maintained in the administration of those services. In particular
the Minister recognises that valuable work has recently been done in the
development of the maternity and child welfare services, both directly and
through voluntary associations, and that notable improvements and economies
have resulted from the establishment of a separate department for
the public cleansing service."
The report went on to deal with matters of administration in reference to
the Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme, the co-operation between various
health services and the officers, and made suggestions as to the Tuberculosis
work and the working of the Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act, 1928.
There was such a small number of cases of Small Pox occurring in the
Borough that Chicken Pox ceased to become notifiable after 8th May.
It is very encouraging to mention the big decline in the infantile mortality
rate. In 1920 the rate was 90 per 1,000 births and now it is 61.6 per 1,000,
the lowest rate ever recorded in the Borough. The average rate for the period
1890-1894 was 178 per 1,000.
In view of the question raised in the House of Commons relative to
maternal mortality, on the instructions of the Public Health Committee, I
forwarded statistics on maternal deaths in the Borough during the past ten
years to our three Members of Parliament and the Ministry of Health. The
statistics compared remarkably well with England and Wales and with London
as a whole, especially during the last four years, the rates of which are as
follows:—
Stepney. London. England & Wales.
1928 2.4 3.59 4.42
1929 2.7 3.6 4.33
1930 2.1 3.2 4.40
1931 2.2 3.8 4.11
This was a very interesting and noteworthy fact, as one of the reasons for
ameliorating slums is that better home conditions lead to fewer deaths of
mothers in childbirth.