[Report 1955] / Medical Officer of Health, Newport (Isle of Wight) Borough.

Newport (Isle of Wight, England). Borough Council.

Date:: 1955

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Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1955] / Medical Officer of Health, Newport (Isle of Wight) Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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County Haul, Newport, I.W. To His Worship the Mayor, and to the Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough of Newport, Isle of Wight. Mr. Mayor, Cadies and Gentlemen, I have the honour to submit the Annual Report on the health of the Borough of Newport for the year 1955. The Live Birth Rate has fallen from 14 -23 to 13 -03. The Crude Death Rate is much the same at 16-3, the previous year it was 16*1. The Still Birth Rate has risen from 17 -42 to 27 -2. The Infantile Mortality Rate has risen from 17 -73 to 20-0, but is still lower than the rate in 1953, when it was 22-5. Deaths from cancer had a further fall from 41 to 39. The number of deaths from cancer of the lung rose from 5 to 7, all in males. The majority of deaths are caused by strokes and heart disease. Two deaths were caused by motor accidents, and there was one case of suicide. During the year there was a considerable outbreak of mumps and measles, but only 3 cases of poliomyelitis were notified. There were no deaths from measles, infantile diarrhoea or poliomyelitis, but one death occurred from whooping cough. Fifteen cases of food poisoning were notified, three of whom required treatment in hospital. The number of new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis fell from 23 to 13. During the year 109 samples of milk were examined for tubercle bacilli. None were found to be positive but 8 samples showed the presence of Brucella Abortus. In considering the preventive factors in heart disease one must evaluate the causes, so far as is known, and apply such knowledge to preventive measures.