[Report 1954] / Medical Officer of Health, Jarrow Borough.

  • Jarrow (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1954
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1954] / Medical Officer of Health, Jarrow Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    7/72
    Health I)epartment, Town Hall, Jar row, Co. Durham May, 1955. To the Minister ot Health and To the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses ot the Borough of Jarrow. Your WOrship, Ladies and ( Ientlemen, 1 haw iIk honour to submit the 80th Annual Report ot the Mcdieal Ollieer ol Health lor l lie Year 1954. I he\ear 1954 was a busy one for the Health Department. Much, of the Department’s time was occupied with infectious disease investiga- tions, housing inspections ol slum clearance areas and inspections of food premises in anticipation ol new Food and Drugs legislation. l he main vital statistic's lor 1954 continued to maintain the improve- ment shown in recent years. l he population ol the Borough continues to rise; there has been a fall in the general death rate, infant mortality rate, still birth rate and the maternal mortality rate. The birth rate and the tuberculosis dealh rate both rose slight 1 v. Over the last 10 vears the population of the Borough has risen steadily vear bv vear from 26,190 in 1945 to 29,100 in mtd-1954. This year s increase was 170, and the natural increase (excess ol births over deaths) was 302 as compared with 250 in 1953. The live birth rate rose from 21.05 last vear to 21.99 per 1,000 population. The general death rate I cl 1 Irom 12.41 per 1,000 population last year to 11.27. This is the lowest rate ever recorded in the Borough. The average* rate for the- last 10 vears is 12.99 as compared with 15.02 lot the years 1935-1944. A total of 645 notifications of infectious diseases were received throughout the year. This is an increase of 232 on 1953. file most prevalent notifiable disease was measles with most cases occurring in the spring and earlv summer. W hooping cough was the second most prevalent disease. Sporadic and isolated lamilv outbreaks ol dysentery necessitated main enc|uiries and a constant search lor possible carriers. 25 caos were notified in (arrow. W hilst only two cases of Poliomyelitis occurred in (arrow during the year 85 cases o currcd in the Tyneside conurbation. Throughout 1954 health departments in the North of England co-operated with the
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