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18
The production of electricity at the County of London
Electric Supply Company's generating station at Creekmouth.
The manufacture of asbestos goods, rubber elastic, matches,
paint, varnish and wood paving.
The storage, etc., of petrol and timber.
Whilst a large number of people are engaged in these industries,
a very large number work out of Barking, travelling to and fro
on trams, omnibuses and the railway.
The influence of occupation on public health is dealt with in
a later part of this Report.
(b) Postal Arrangements.—The work of the department is to
a certain extent hampered by the Post Office, who have a futile
arrangement whereby a large part of the Barking area is designated
" Dagenham " for postal purposes. Much of our correspondence
reaches us through my colleague in Dagenham, with consequent
delay and unnecessary duplication of work.
9. CAUSES OF SICKNESS.
(a) Psittacosis.—During the year there were three deaths from
psittacosis, a disease transmitted to man from birds of the parrot
type.
The disease is so simple to prevent that, however deplorable
these deaths may have been, they do not represent a serious public
health problem. It is only for people to refrain from buying birds
that are known to transmit this disease, and so far as we know the
incidence of the disease is arrested.
Research workers in curative medicine are trying to find a
serum that will cure the disease, but as a Public Health authority
we advocate the prevention of the disease by the simple means
I have suggested.
It wants to be clearly understood that there is no need for
people who have had birds of this sort for many years to anticipate