[Report 1961] / Medical Officer of Health, Wednesbury Borough.

  • Wednesbury (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1961
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1961] / Medical Officer of Health, Wednesbury Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    4/48 (page 4)
    Madam Mayor, and Gentlemen, I have the honour to present the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1961, with which is incorporated that of the Chief Public Health Inspector. The estimated mid-year population of the Borough for 1961, as opposed to the decennial Census findings at a specified moment in time, was recorded as being 34,770. Related to this was the Natural Increase (excess births over deaths), calculated to be 238. Since the total population fell by 50 as compared with the previous year, the small annual outward movement of population referred to in last year’s Report was maintained. Little change was experienced in the number of deaths recorded during the year, the Adjusted Death Rate being 15.4 per thousand of total population, continuing thereby to be substantially above the National figure of 12.0. With regard to the causes of death, various forms of Heart Disease held pride of place with an increased proportion of 32.6% of all deaths, followed by Cancer 19.0%, (no rise in Lung Cancer returns), diseases of the Respiratory System 16.4%, and finally Cerebral Haemorrhage and related conditions 10.0%. It is satisfactory to be able to state that only four deaths by Suicide were recorded during the year, if anything, slightly less than the average for recent years. The 1961 Birth Rate of 18.0 per thousand total live births was the highest recorded since 1949, the Adjusted Rate of 16.5 still remaining slightly below that for England and Wales (17.1). The number of children failing to survive their first year of life practically doubled since last year, the resultant rate of 27.1 per thousand live births being a little higher than the national average of 21.4. Once again no maternal deaths were attributable to pregnancy or childbirth, the last such tragedy occurring in 1957. The annual enumeration of statistics relating to such vital matters as birth or death, essential as it is to the national adminis¬ tration, seldom helps to enlighten members of the public on the circumstances in which these supreme events take place. I have in mind particularly the situation regarding births which occurred in 1961, and which were described as having been rather above the average for recent years. Even in so short a period of time as one decade, the proportion of babies born in maternity hospitals has almost doubled, and during the year in question just over two thirds of all births were involved. It might reasonably enough be inferred from this that childbirth had suddenly become an exceed¬ ingly hazardous proceeding but, in fact, the normal and natural physical process of reproduction of the species, entrusted in its