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Borough of Southwark
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Walworth Road, S.E.17.
To His Worship the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors.
Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The year under review has been one of great activity and
reorganisation.
In the early part of the year a Special Health Services Committee
was appointed to consider the question of reorganisation, and much
useful work was done.
The Sanitary districts were readjusted, releasing two Inspectors to
devote their special attention to food and food premises.
The Mortuary and the Disinfecting Station at Manor Place were
closed down, the disinfecting being transferred to King James Street
Station in order to centralise the whole of the work.
New card recording systems were commenced in regard to
Housing, whereby a complete record of each house in the Borough
is being tabulated, and in course of time every house will be recorded.
The general health of the Borough during the year was satisfactory,
although not quite so good as in the previous year, owing to epidemics
of smallpox and measles.
The mortality from smallpox was nil, but measles alone was responsible
for 53 deaths in children under five years of age.
Other infectious diseases showed a slight tendency to increase, but
the mortality figures from these remained low and about the normal.
The general death rate of 13 per 1,000 population was slightly lower
than the previous year, and is due to a decrease in the number of
deaths from heart disease, which were almost 100 less than the previous
year, and by the decrease in deaths from Cancer and Tuberculosis.
The Infant Mortality rate has risen slightly, and is chiefly accounted
for by the increase in deaths from Measles and Diarrhoea; on the latter
further remarks will be found later in this report.