[Report 1953] / Medical Officer of Health, Argyll County Council.

  • Argyllshire (Scotland). County Council.
Date:
1953
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1953] / Medical Officer of Health, Argyll County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    PREFACE The vital statistics indicate that the health of the population during the year 1953 remains satisfactory. There is no appreciable change in the birth rate which is 15.2 per thousand of the estimated population and compares favourably with the figure of 15.7 for 1952. The infantile mortality rate of 32 per thousand births shows a marked improvement over past years and now approximates the average figure for the whole of Scotland. I hope this improvement will be maintained or even show a lower figure in the years to come. The death rate shows a slight fall lU.7 as compared with 15.7 in the previous year. Attention is drawn to the deaths at various ages which is in some ways a better indication of the health of the community than the actual death rate. The Registrar-General has given the population of the County as 60,116. This is a very much lower figure than that given for the previous year when it was 6U,095« The Census for 1951 recorded a figure of 63,270 and it is difficult to believe that there has been such a big fall in the population when there would appear to be a large number of people entering and residing in the County in connection with afforestation and hydro-electric schemes. I have given tables showing the distribution of the population within the County which is of interest. There is still a tendency to gravitate from the rural areas to the burghs partly due to increased work within the centres of massed population and partly due to the attractions of modern life which the populous centres can offer. I would like to thank Dr. R.S, Hardie for the great interest he has taken in the public health work of this County and for his assistance in compiling the Annual Report. I would also take this opportunity of thankig all the members of my staff for the good work they have done during the year and for the help they have given and the loyalty they have shown to me throughout the year under review.