[Report 1942] / Medical Officer of Health, Birkenhead County Borough.
- Birkenhead (England). County Borough Council.
- Date:
- 1942
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1942] / Medical Officer of Health, Birkenhead County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
3/56
![PREFACE The birth rate for the year (19.6 per 1,000 of the population) is the highest recorded in Birkenhead since 1926, that is to say in the last sixteen years. It compares favourably with the rate for the 126 County Boroughs and Great Towns (17.3 per 1,000) and with that for England and Wales as a whole (15.8 per 1,000). The number of births attended in the Birkenhead Municipal Hospital has increased from 455 in 1941 to 583 in 1942; this increase las heavily taxed the hospital’s resources. The death rate in the Borough has declined to 14.3 per 1,000 of the population. (The rate had risen from 12.9 per 1,000 in 1939 to 16.1 per 1,000 in 1940, and to 18.9 per 1,000 in 1941.) The infantile mortality rate, which rose to 102 per 1,000 births in 1941,. fell in 1942 to’68 per 1,000 births. (In 1939 this rate had declined to the lowest point ever recorded in the Borough—58 per 1,000 births.) Deaths from tuberculosis (all forms) totalled 135 in 1942 as com- pared with 146 in 1941. But the new cases notified (263) showed an ncrease as against the previous year’s figure (248). Attention is directed to special notes in this report on the following subjects :— The incidence of tuberculosis in war-time, and the develop- ment of the work of the Clinical Tuberculosis Officer (p 8-10). The problem of venereal, disease (p 12-13). Immunisation against diphtheria (p 15-16) The work of the Municipal Hospital (p 18 et seq.). The Civil Defence Medical Service, and the Civil Nursing Beserve (p 26-27). The health of children of school age (p 28 et seq.). Grateful appreciation must be recorded of the interest shown and ncouragement given by members of the various Committees respon- ible for promoting the health of the citizens of Birkenhead; and for he devotion to duty of the staff' of the Department. D.M.M. (bC V -y ft ]](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28927369_0005.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
