[Report 1952] / Medical Officer of Health, Louth Borough.

  • Louth (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1952
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1952] / Medical Officer of Health, Louth Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    5/24 (page 3)
    To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough of Louth. 1 have pleasure presenting my Annual Report dealing with matters affecting health and sanitary circumstances in the Borough during 1952. During the year, 178 children were born to parents residing in the Borough and 163 residents died. Seven babies were still¬ born and three died before attaining the age of 1 year. This briefly puts the case and the potentialities. Stated as rates in terms of population, the live birth rate was 16 and the death rate 14.7 compared with the national of 15,3 and 11.3 which show the relative margins between births and deaths. In comparison with the previous year the local birth and death rates were higher but as the increase in the number of deaths fell within the terminal age groups, the deaths under 65 years were only 27% of the total compared with the 28% of the previous year. In the sub-heads, still births were higher but infant deaths considerably lower. The latter figure year by year is most erratic and follows no particular pattern, but over the period of the previous five years it gave an average rate of 24.8 compared with the national average of 33.3 which provides a rough comparative index. Malignant growths and diseases of the heart and circulation accounted for the main increases in the individual causes of death, but the fatalities in the latter group are mostly due to the final break down associated with old age. The infectious disease table contains an unusually small list and small numbers without any deaths resulting. The number of tuberculosis cases notified remained the same as the previous year, and for the second successive year only one death occurred,. This indicated in a small way the great strides being made to control this disease by modern surgical measures and drug discoveries. The diphtheria immunisation response for the year was highly satisfactory and provided an example in this way of intelligent parenthood which could profitably be copied in many parts of the country. The congratulations however do not admit of any relaxation of effort because a non immunised child still remains a child at risk and the general level of immunisation has to be maintained to avoid the renewal of outbreaks of the disease. Matters affecting food hygiene are dealt with in more detail than usual because of the importance of the subject in relation to the high incidence of food poisoning. One of the more glaring matters requiring attention is the need for the better protection of exposed edibles from dust, fly and animal contamination in