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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,
I have pleasure in presenting my Annual Report for the year 1933.
The year as a whole was a healthy one. The number of smallpox cases
decreased, although in the latter months of the year an outbreak of mild
scarlet fever occurred; the interesting feature of the outbreak was the
unusual number of adults affected.
The death rate of 13.9 per 1,000 population shows a slight increase
on the previous year, but nearly 50 per cent. of these deaths occurred
in persons over 65 years of age. The chief causes of death were heart
disease, bronchitis, pneumonia and cancer.
The infant death rate of 63 per 1.000 births shows a great improvement
on previous years.
The birth rate has again fallen to 14.2. This figure is the lowest
recorded in the history of the Borough.
The work of the Public Health Department has been heavy, owing to
increased activities, particularly in regard to housing.
In April, additional duties of supervising the common lodging
houses, infant life protection, offensive trades, slaughter-houses and
slaughtermen, were transferred to the Borough Council, and in order
to cope with this work it was found necessary to appoint an additional
sanitary inspector.
The dairies and milkshops in the Borough have received special
attention owing to the fact that milk in many cases was being sold and