Health Committee's report / City of Melbourne.

  • Melbourne (Vic.). Health Committee.
Date:
[1925]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Health Committee's report / City of Melbourne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    CITY OF MELBOURNE HEALTH COMMITTEE’S REPORT FOR 1925 MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE. Alderman Stapley (Chairman). Alderman Burton (Died April 22, 1925). Councillor Sir George Cuscaden. Councillor Kent Hughes. Councillor Kane. Councillor Smith (Elected April 27, 1925). Councillor Westley. The Health Committee have the honor to submit their report for the year 1925. REPORTS OF OFFICERS. The Report of the Medical Officer of Health, Dr. T. W. Sinclair, relating to the vital statistics of the City, the prevalence of epidemic diseases, the measures taken to prevent the spread of infection, and the work of the Inspectorial Staff, is attached hereto, together with Reports by Dr. Annie D. Hensley, regarding the progress of the Council’s Anti- Diphtheria Campaign, and by Messrs. Dunn and Son, City Analysts, and Dr. R. J. Bull, Director of Bacteriological Laboratory, University of Melbourne. STATISTICS. According to the return of the Government Statist, the estimated mean population of the City in 1925 was 101,780, which represents a decrease of 180, as compared with the previous year. The number of births in 1925, including those which occurred in the Women’s Hospital, and the Queen Victoria Hospital, was 4,222. Excluding the figures for both hospitals, the number of births is equivalent to a rate of 13.48 per 1,000. The deaths from all causes numbered 954, as compared with 1,115 in the previous year. The general death rate, 9.33 per 1,000, is 1.60 per 1,000 less than in 1924, and it is gratifying to note that this is the lowest on record for the City. INFANTILE MORTALITY. The deaths of children under the age of one year registered during the year numbered 194, the number for the year 1924 being 235. Excluding the Hospital figures, the number of deaths is equivalent to an infantile mortality rate of approximately 71 per 1,000 births, and is the second lowest ever recorded for the City. INFECTIOUS DISEASES. There were 89 cases of scarlet fever during the year, or .87 per 1,000. This represents a decrease of 137 in comparison with the figures for the previous year. The number of deaths (2) was, however, the same as in the previous year, and is equivalent to a rate of .019 per 1,000. The