pop 45 Public Health Department, Poplar Town Hall, Bow Road, E.3. 23rd December, 1940. To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar. Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen, in accordance with the Ministry of Health Circular 2067 (England) this Report is an abridged interim Report oh the health of the Borough for the year 1939. Appended will bo found summaries of the principal vital and other statistics. The birth and death rates do not call for special comment, but it is not to be expected that the infant mortality rate, which is the lowest over recorded in the Borough, is likely to bo maintained. The expected epidemic of Measles did not occur and the incidence of other infectious diseases was below normal. At the time of writing, however, there are indications that Measles is on the increase and it is probable that in the coming months and under the present conditions of living in shelters there may be some difficulty in dealing with a largo number of eases, but with some measure of medical supervision at public air raid shelters efforts will be made to limit the spread of infection, and to secure the prompt removal to hospital of cases as they occur. The general public in this Borough are being encouraged to use their Anderson shelters, with some degree of success. There Are no known moans of prophylaxis against some of the commoner infections such as colds, influenza, measles, scarlet fever and whooping cough, but against diphtheria artificial immunisation is an almost certain preventive. Public attention has boon drawn to this by means of posters exhibited throughout the Borough and it is hoped full advantage will be taken of the facilities available. General inoculation against typhoid fever is not advisable at the moment but arrangements are under consideration for enabling us to offer this means of protection to the public should circumstances arise which render this action advisable. Although the normal activities of the Maternity and Child Welfare section of the Department were seriously interfered with owing to a large proportion of the staff being allocated to duties at First Aid posts resulting in the infant welfare and ante-natal centres being closed temporarily, the more urgent cases were visited in their homos by Health Visitors. Once again I wish to thank the members of the council for their consideration during tho past year and to the officers of other Departments as well as to members of my own staff I offer sincere thanks for their loyal co-operation during a vory difficult period. I am, Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, W. ALLAN YOUNG, Medical Officer of Health. ' STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS. AREA. 2,136 acres. The number of inhabited houses was 24,109 The rateable value £779,170 Sum represented by a penny rate £3,110 POPULATION. Census 1931 155,089 Registrar-General's estimate for mid.1939: (a) for calculation of birth rate 131,200 (b) for calculation of death rate 124,100 LIVE BIRTHS. Birth rate 15.7 per 1,000 of the estimated population. Total. M. F. Legitimate 2,022 947 1,075 Illegitimate 43 16 27 2,065 963 1,102 STILL BIRTHS. Total. M. F. 52 27 25 Rate per 1,000 total births 25.1 DEATHS. Total M. F. 1,534 842 692 Death rate per 1,000 population (a) Crude 12.4 (b) Adjusted by comparability factor 13.7 DEATHS FROM PUERPERAL CAUSES. puerperal sepsis 2 ) Rate per 1,000 total births 2.42 Other puerperal causes 3 ) INFANTILE MORTALITY RATE. All infants per 1,000 live births 31 Legitimate infants per 1,000 legitimate live births 29 Illegitimate infants per 1,000 illegitimate live births 119 CLASSIFICATION OF DEATHS. The causes of deaths were as follows:- typhoid and paratyphoid fevers 0, measles 1, scarlet fever 0, whooping cough 4, diphtheria 5, influenza 29, encephalitis lethargica Q, cerebrospinal fever 1, tuberculosis of respiratory system 92, other tuberculous diseases 3, syphilis 0, general paralysis of the insane 5, cancer 231, diabetes 15, cerebral haemorrhage 52, heart disease 526, aneurysm 12, other circulatory diseases 75, bronchitis'76, pneumonia 88, other respiratory diseases 8, peptic ulcer 23, diarrhoea 13, appendicitis 8, cirrhosis of liver 3, other diseases of liver 8, other digestive diseases 16, acute and chronic nephritis 18, puerperal sepsis 2, other puerperal crises 3, congenital debility, premature birth, malformations, etc. 30, senility 14, suicide 1 other violence 54, other defined diseases 102, causes ill-defined or unknown 0. Total deaths 1534. Inbantile mortality. There were 63 deaths of infants under one year of age. The causes of deaths were as follows:- whooping cough 2, tuberculosis of respiratory system 1, bronchitis 2, pneumonia 11, diarrhoea 1, congenital debility, premature birth, etc. 30, violence 1, other defined diseases 5. GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES IN THE AREA. NURSING IN THE HOME. The number of visits paid to cases by the nurses from nursing associations was 583. WEEFARE CENTRES. The number of attendances at Maternity and Child Welfare Centres up to the end of August, when the Centres wore closed, was: Borough Council. Royal Co11ege of St. Katharine. Total. 32,117 20,040 52,157 VISITS PAID BY HEALTH VISITORS. The numbers of visits paid by Health Visitors were:- Borough Council. Royal College of St. Katharine. Total. 20,292 24,114 44,406 CHILD LIFE PROTECTION. 187 visits were made to Foster Mothers and Children. Foster Mothers under supervision during 1939 22 Foster Children " " " 25 STERILE MATERNITY OUTFITS. 418 sterile maternity outfits wore issued - 2 at half-price and 416 free. OBSTETRIC CONSULTANTS. The consultants were called in on two occasions. CONVALESCENT TREATMENT, etc. Convalescent cases: Mothers with babies 18 Mothers alone 3 Children under 5 years 30 MILK SCHEME. 7,006 applications for free milk were received and 5,504 were granted. Orders for 111,468 pints of milk and 20,247 pounds of dried milk were issued. SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA. Routine work could not be fully maintained with many of the staff assigned to other duties, but approximately 21,000 inspections and roinspections were made by the District Sanitary Inspectors. HOUSING. The Housing Inspectors, like the District Sanitary Inspectors, were assigned to duties in connection with the casualty Service and when not engaged in that service deputised for the District Inspectors. INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF POOD. The Meat and Food inspectors made 4,543 inspections of premises where is prepared, stored or sold. 478 visits were paid to slaughterhouses and 3,592 carcases were inspected. REPORT OF THE PUBLIC M&LYSTS. The number of samples examined was 607 and the proportion adulterated was 3.6 per cent. The averages for the ton years 1930-1939 were 794 and 4.6, respectively. PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES. The incidence of infectious disease generally was below normal. Notifications (corrected for "altered" diagnosis" cases") received during the year. Deaths. Scarlet fever 228 — Diphtheria 154 5 Typhoid and paratyphoid fevers 1 — Erysipelas 74 — puerperal fever 13 2 Puerperal pyrexia 30 — Cerebrospinal fever 3 1 Ophthalmia neonatorum 9 — Measles 60 1 Whooping cough 419 4 primary pneumonia 167 24 @ influenzal pneumonia 28 9 @ Dysentery 7 — Zymotic enteritis 74 13 Acute poliomyelitis 2 1 x not previously notifiable. @ notified cases only. TUBERCULOSIS. The number of new cases notified during the year and the number of deaths were as follows:- Now cases. Deaths. Pulmonary 175 92 Non-pulmonary 31 3 Death rates per 1,000 population:- Pulmonary 0.74 Other forms 0.02 0.76 The number of cases on the register at the end of the year was 797. The number on the Tuberculosis Dispensary register at the end of the year was: Definitely tuberculous 645 Diagnosis not completed 29 674 PUBLIC EDUCATION. 151 lectures were given, the attendances totalling IN HEALTH 5,076.