[Report 1955] / Medical Officer of Health, Liskeard Borough.

  • Liskeard (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1955
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1955] / Medical Officer of Health, Liskeard Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/18 (page 7)
    The Birth Rate shows a fall of 1,8 per 1000 of population on the already low figure of 1954, and is noticeably lower than the national rate of 15. The probable reason for this is the drift of younger adults away from small country towns to parts of -the country where industrialisation, and higher wages are an attraction . The still birth rate and the infant mortality rate compare favourably with those for England and Wales, For the eighth succesive year there were no maternal deaths. The general death rate is high for reasons I have commented upon in previous reports and I no longer regard this particular rate as having any real relevance to the state of health in the Borough. The principal causes of death conform more or less to the general pattern although heart disease is more prevalent in the Borough, and deaths from cancer more numerous than ctne would expect. These trends are undoubtedly influenced by the presence of an appreciable number of old people in the welfare and chronic sick accommodation at Lamellion Hospital, which also explains the relatively high average age at death. Infectious Disease The year was notable for a very low incidence of. notifiable disease, of which there were only 17 cases. Unfortunately at the end of the year two cases of paralytic poliomyelitis occurred. One of these a boy of 9 was very mild, but the other in an adult woman was of moderate severity. There were no deaths from infectious disease in 1955* The following are details of actual numbers and cases rates of notifiable disease during the year:- Rate per 1000 of population. Disease Cases Liskeard M.B, Health Area Measles 11 2.53 8. 29 Pneumonia 3 0.69 1, 88 Paralytic poliomyelitis 2 0.46 0. 14 Rate per 1000 total births 21.74 4. 62 Tuberculosis One case only of this disease was notified in 1955. This is far and away the best record for this disease since I oommenoed writing your Annual Reports in 1948. There were no deaths from tuberoulosis during the year. The following are details of this new case, together with case rates and mortality rates:- Age Group. New Cases, Deaths. M F M F 0-1 1-5 5-15 15- 45 45- 65 1 65 and over Rate per 1000 per population Liskeard M.B. Health Area No 7 New cases, 0, 23 0. 64 All known oases 8. 97 6, 82 Deaths - 0. 08 At the end of the year there were 34 known cases of. respiratory tuberculosis and 5 known cases of non-respiratory tuberculosis resident in the Borough,