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10
In the case of a measles epidemic the Health Visitors are to be instructed to
cease their duties with infants and concentrate solely on nursing measles cases.
In February there was one case of Encephalitis Lethargica at Cowley. This
is an inflammatory condition of the membranes covering the brain, causing a drowsy
lethargic condition, and, generally speaking, a squint and drooping of the eyelid. I
regret to say this patient died.
Refuse Dumping.
The large dump at Xortholt gave Mr. Freeman and myself considerable anxiety
during the year. Practically from February to the end of the year, huge quantities
of house and other refuse were brought down from Marylebone by barges, and
unloaded at first by fork and barrow, but later in the year a crane was erected on
the Canal Bank. The crane works grabs, which are emptied into skips. These skips
are pulled by horses to the face of the refuse heap and dumped there. I calculated
that the area would take two years to fill in. At times the stench was terrible, and
the fly breeding very great; but in view of the fact that there was only one house
within a quarter of a mile (and that one in the Greenford Urban District), I was
quite unable to make my report to you in strong terms enough for the nuisance to
be easily abated. I did put before you a full report of a strong nature, but in view
of the situation, and slight improvement by spraying to kill flies and covering surface
with dry sweepings, no very definite action could be taken.
In May the Ministry of Health got direct complaints of this dump, and also
questions were asked in Parliament about it. About that time the County Medical
Officer of Health inspected the place, and rather suggested we were doing little in
the matter.
My reply to that was that I had visited the dump at least twelve times and
Mr. Freeman had been at least twenty times, which involved travelling 15 miles
per inspection. I also reported to you from time to time the state of affairs there.
Depositing of this type of refuse will be a trouble to us again in the future ;
the solution of the question would be in passing the material through a destructor
before being brought into our district. Refuse that has passed through a destructor
is harmless.
Housing.
The Harefield scheme was well in hand, but none of the Council houses were
ready for occupation at the end of the year. Some of the houses built by the British
Portland Cement Co. were finished and occupied before the end of the year. They
are excellent dwellings.