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borough of Southwark.
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Walworth Road, S.E.I7.
To His Worship the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors,
Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present the Annual Report on the Health of
your Borough for the year 1931 and, in so doing, I wish to place on record
the death of your late Medical Officer, Dr. H. Wilson, in August, whom
I succeeded in October.
The Health of the Borough for the period under review was good,
there being fewer epidemic diseases than for many years previous and
fewer deaths from these diseases than ever before recorded.
In spite of the above facts, the Crude Death Rate has increased to
14 as compared with 12-5 for the previous year; this is accounted
for by a large increase in the number of deaths in the age period over
65 years of age, there being 200 more deaths in this age group than in
the previous year.
The estimated population figure has considerably decreased, there
being 5,600 less persons than in 1929; nevertheless the birth-rate
remained steady at 16-9.
Infant mortality rate of 61 is extremely satisfactory and speaks well
for the Maternity and Child Welfare services functioning in this Borough.
The Maternal Mortality figure of 3.3 per 1,000 total births compares
favourably with that for England and Wales which returns a figure of
3-95 per 1,000 total births.
The Housing conditions in the Borough are receiving the special
attention of the Council. Since coming into office, I have represented
to you 10 small areas, comprising 373 dwellings, suitable for clearance and
re-housing schemes concerning which, further remarks will be found
under the appropriate headings.
The London County Council granted housing accommodation to
161 Southwark families on grounds of health or serious overcrowding.