LIBRARY LEW 27 METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF IEWISHAM/ REPORT of the MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH for the year 1939 JOHN W. MILLER, M.B., Ch.B, , D.P.H, MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH Public Health Department, Town Hall, Catford, S.E.6, To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Motropolitan Borough of Lewisham. Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen, The publication of this Report has been delayed owing to the heavy additional duties undertaken in connection with organising and the administration of the Casualty Services of the Civil Defence Schene. In accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of Health, the Report is in an abridged form, but the appended summaries contain the principal vital and other statistics. They indicate satisfactory health conditions and do not call for any special comment. All the essential health services in the Borough have been maintained, except for the closing of the Maternity Home at the outbreak of war. In submitting this report I wish to express my appreciation of the consideration shown to me by Members of the Council. I also wish to place on record my indebtedness to the staff of the Department for their invaluable assistance, particularly in connection with the arduous duties imposed upon them during the period of change-over to war conditions. I am, Mr, mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, JOHN W. MILLER, Medical Officer of Health. SUMMARY OF VITAL STATISTICS Area of the Borough 7,015 Acres. Population Census 1931 219,953. June 1939 (Registrar General's estimate) (a) For calculation of Birth Rate 231,000 (b) " " " Death Rate 220,300. Number of inhabited houses 56,000 (approximate) Rateable Value (at 1st April 1939) £1,911,096. Estimated product of a penny rate for the financial year 1939-40 £7,500. BIRTHS Live Births Total Males Females Legitimate 3004 1536 1468 Illegitimate 131 65 66 3135 1601 1534 Birth Rate per 1,000 of the estimated population 13.6 (Rate for London) 12.3 Number of Stillbirths Males 61, Females 51, Total 112. Rate per 1,000 total (live and still) births 357. DEATHS Total 2356. (Males 1129; Females 1227). Death Rate per 1,000 of the estimated population:Crude 10.69 Corrected 10.79. Rate for London 11.9. Deaths from Puerperal Causes. Deaths Rate per 1,000 (live and stillbirths ). Puerperal Sepsis. 2 0.65 Other Puerperal Causes. 7 2.29. 2 Doath rato of Infants under 1 year of age All Infants per 1,000 live births . 42 Legitimate Infants per 1,000 legitimate live births 38 Illegitimate " " illegitimate live'' births 130. Deaths from Measles (all ages) 1 " " Whooping Cough (all ages) 7 " " Diarrhoea (under 2 years) 25 " " Cancer (all ages) 389 " " Tuberculosis 159 The causes of Deaths were as follows Causes Males Females Total Typhoid and paratyphoid fevers Measles - 1 1 Scarlet Fever - - — Whooping Cough 3 4 7 Diphtheria 4 4 8 Influenza 12 22 34 Encephalitis lethargica 2 2 Cerebro-spinal fever 2 - 2 Respiratory tuberculosis 85 55 140 Other tuberculosis 11 8 19 Syphilis 1 1 General paralysis of the insane, etc. 4 5 9 Cancer 174 215 389 Diabetes 17 20 37 Cerebral haemorrhage, etc. 37 67 104 Heart disease 294 367 661 Aneurysm 6 1 7 Other circulatory diseases 65 70 135 Bronchitis 25 34 59 45 41 86 Other respiratory diseases 16 12 28 Peptic ulcer 22 6 28 Diarrhoea 24 8 32 10 7 17 4 2 6 2 6 8 Other digestive diseases 17 20 37 27 34 61 - 2 2 Other puerperal diseases - 7 7 28 32 60 20 40 60 Suicide 13 8 21 Other violence 54 35 89 Other defined diseases 105 94 199 1129 1227 2356 DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION. Number of children immunised during the year Under 5 years of age 383 5 years and over 303 TOTAL. 686 4 INFECTIOUS DISEASES. Number of cases notified and deaths during the 52 weeks ended 30th December 1939. Disease Total cases notified. Total Deaths. Cerebro-spinal Meningitis 11 2 Diphtheria 137 8 Dysentery- 10 - Encephalitis Lethargica 1 2 Erysipelas 52 - Malaria 2 - Measles 48 1 Ophthalmia Neonatorum 14 - Pneumonias - Acute Primary and Influenzal. 216 86 Polio Myelitis 3 - Puerperal Pyrexia 29 2 Puerperal Fever 2 7 Scarlet Fever 330 - Whooping Cough 704 7 Continued Fever 1 - Paratyphoid Fever 2 - Typhoid Fever 1 - TOTALS 1563 115 The number of cases notified during the year 1938 was 1553 4 - 5 - TUBERCULOSIS. The number of new cases notified during the year 1939 and the number of deaths (together with comparative figures for the previous year) were as follows NEW CASES i DEATHS 1939 1938 1939 1938 Pulmonary 245 264 140 153 Non-pulmonary 56 66 19 22 TOTALS 301 330 159 175 The age distribution of the notified cases is shown in the following table Age Periods Pulmonary Non-pulmonary TOTALS. Males Females Males Females Under 1 year - - 1 - 1 1 to 5 years - 1 2 3 6 5 to 10 4 6 5 15 10 to 15 2 2 7 2 13 15 to 20 22 19 4 4 49 20 to 25 21 22 1 7 51 25 to 35 23 32 1 5 61 35 to 45 23 18 1 2 44 45 to 55 25 12 3 - 40 55 to 65 11 4 1 - 16 65 and upwards 2 2 - 1 5 TOTALS 133 112 27 29 301 GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES. Maternity and Child Welfare. The Maternity Home was closed at the outbreak of war, but there was no material change in the other services, details of which are shown in my report for 1937. Inspection and Supervision of Food. Samples purchased and submitted to the Public Analyst. 732 Samples found to be adulterated:- Formal Samples. None Informa1 smples. 7 Coroner's Court and Mortuary. Number of bodies brought to Mortuary 430 " " Inquests held 328 " " Post Mortem examinations held 169 6