PoP 46 METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF POPLAR . INTERIM ANNUAL REPORT on the health of the Borough during 1940 by W. ALLAN YOUNG, D.S.O., M.D., Ch.B., D.P.H., Medical Officer of Health. Public Health Department, Poplar Town Hall, Bow Road, E.3. To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar. Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen, In accordance with the Ministry of Health Circular 2314 (England) this Report for the year 1940 is, like that for the preceding year, an abridged Interim Report on the health of the Borough. Summaries of the principal vital and other statistics are appended. The birth and death rates are higher than the corresponding rates for 1939 the increase in the death rate being considerable. This increase is due mainly to the very large number of deaths included under the heading of "Other violent causes" under which heading are included deaths due to war operations, The infant mortality also is higher than that for 1939 but it was much below the average for the preceding ten years. The incidence of infectious disease was very much lower than in 1939 and the expected epidemic of Measles in London did not materialise until the latter part of the year. Arrangements wore made towards the end of the year for the establishment of a Diphtheria Immunisation Clinic to be hold at the Tuberculosis Dispensary and the clinic commenced in 1941. From the public health point of view there is nothing elso which calls for comment. I should like to record my appreciation of the way in which the First Aid Volunteers, Stretcher Bearers and personnel of the First Aid Posts carried out their various duties, often under very trying circumstances and, although it is rather outside tho scope of the Report which deals with public health matters, I would take this opportunity of recording our sympathy with the relatives of the members of the First Aid Post and Stretcher Party services who have been killed as a result of enemy action. I also wish to thank the personnel of the Public Health Department for their help and co-operation since hostilities commenced, particularly during the later months of 1940 and the early months of 1941. My thanks are due also to the Secretary and Committee of the Local Medical War Committee of the British Medical Association, through whose co-operation the services of a number of Medical Practitioners in the Borough have been made available for duty in connection with various aspects of Civil Defence work. I am, Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, W. ALLAN YOUNG, Medical Officer of Health. STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS. AREA. 2,136 acres. POPULATION. Census 1931 155,089 Registrar-General's estimate of the Civil Population mid. 1940 97,410 LIVE BIRTHS. Total. Males. Females. Legitimate 1638 788 850 Birth rate 17.3 per 1,000 of the estimated population. Illegitimate 51 29 22 1689 817 872 STILL BIRTHS. Total. Males. Females. 42 22 20 Rate per 1,000 total births 24.2 DEATHS. Total. Males. Females. 1919 1146 7 73 Death rate per 1,000 of the population: (a) Crude 19.7 (b) Adjusted by comparability factor 20.5 DEATHS FROM PUERPERAL CAUSES. Puerperal sepsis 1 Rate per 1,000 total births 1.26 Other puerperal causes 1 INFANTILE MORTALITY RATE. All infants per 1,000 live births 41 Legitimate infants per 1,000 legitimate live births 41 Illegitimate infants per 1,000 Illegitimate live births 40 CLASSIFICATION OF DEATHS. The causes of deaths, classified by the Registrar-General, are as follows:- typhoid and paratyphoid fevers 0, cerebrospinal fever 2, scarlet fever 0, whooping cough 0, diphtheria 7, tuberculosis of respiratory system 109, other forms of tuberculosis 13, syphilitic diseases 16, influenza 18, measles 0, acute poliomyelitis and polioencephalitis 1, acute infectious encephalitis 1, cancer of (a) buccal cavity 9; (b) uterus 5; (c) stomach and duodenum 38; (d) breast 16; (e) all other sites 130; diabetes 4, intracranial vascular lesions 98, heart disease 459, other diseases of circulatory system 56, bronchitis 207, pneumonia 96, other respiratory diseases 27, ulcer of stomach or duodenum 32. diarrhoea under 2 years 3, appendicitis 3, other digestive diseases 37, nephritis 27, puerperal and post-abortive sepsis 1, other maternal causes 1, premature birth 19, congenital malformations, birth injury and infantile disease 15, suicide 9, road traffic accidents 21, other violent causes 339, all other causes 100. Total deaths 1919. (Note: The headings and rules for classification of deaths have been revised but the principal classification causes are not greatly altered.) -3- INFANTILE MORTALITY. There were 63 deaths of infants under one year of age, The causes of deaths were as follows:- whooping cough 0, tuberculosis of respiratory system 0, other formsoof tuborculosis 2, cerebrospinal fever 2, diphtheria 1, influenza 1, bronchitis 1, pneumonia 13, diarrhoea 3, premature birth, congenital malformations, etc. 32, violence 5, all other causes 3. 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 1015. WELFARE CENTRES. The numbers of attendances at the Maternity and Child Welfare Centres from the end of April 1940 are shown below:- Borough Council. Royal College of St, Katharine. Total. 5,844 2,813 8,657 VISITS PAID BY HEALTH VISITORS. The numbers of visits paid by Health Visitors were:- Borough Council. Royal College of St. Katharine. Total. 19,712 23,473 43,185 CHILD LIFE PROTECTION. 92 visits were made to Foster Mothers and Children. Foster Mothers under supervision during 1940 12 Foster Children " " " " 13 STERILE MATERNITY OUTFITS. 438 sterile maternity outfits wore issued, all free. ONSTETRIC CONSULTANTS. A Consultant was called in on one occasion. CONVALESCET TREATMENT etc. No convalescent cases were sent away during the year. MILK SCHEME.(Maternity and Child Welfare) 2,884 applications for free milk were received and 2213 were granted. Orders for 15,960 pounds of dried milk were issued. SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA. As in 1939, routine work could not be fully maintained with many of the staff assigned to other duties but approximately 15,000 inspections and reinspections were made by the District Sanitary Inspectors. > -4- HOUSING. The Housing Inspectors, like the District Sanitary Inspectors were assigned to duties in connection with the Casualty Services and when not so engaged deputised for the District Inspectors. INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD. The Meat and Food Inspectors made 3,274 inspections of premises where food is prepared, stored or sold. REPORT OF THE PUBLIC ANALYSTS. The number of samples examined was 665 and the number adulterated was 30, a percentage of 4.5. The averages for the ten years 1931-1940 were 776 and 4.4 respectively. PREVALENCE OF AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES. The incidence of infectious disease was much below normal. Notifications (corrected for "altered diagnosis" cases) received during the year. Cases. s. Scarlet fever 53 — Diphtheria 76 7 Typhoid and paratyphoid fevers 8 — Erysipelas 49 2 Puerperal fever 10 1 Puerperal pyrexia 20 — Cerebrospinal fever 32 2 Ophthalmia neonatorum 3 — Measles 60 — Whooping cough 9 — Primary pneumonia 132 29x Influenzal pneumonia 17 3x Dysentery — 1@ Zymotic enteritis 19 3 Acute poliomyelitis — 1ø 488 x - notified patients only. @ - not notified, inmate of Mental Hospital outside London. ø - notified before 1940 TUBERCULOSIS. The Tuberculosis Dispensary sessions wero discontinued on account of enemy action in September 1940 but were resumed in part during March 1941. The number of new cases notified and of deaths during the year were as fallows:- New cases. Deaths. Pulmonary 175 109 Non-pulmonary 27 13 Death rates per 1,000 population:- Pulmonary 1.12 Other forms 0.13 Total 1.25 -5- The number of cases of Tuberculosis on the register at the end of the year was 765. The number on the Tuberculosis Dispensary re gister at the end of the year was Definitely tuberculous 585 Diagnosis not completed 16 601 PUBLIC EDUCATION IN HEALTH. 126 lectures were given, the attendances totalling 7,776.