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The records included under IV. Sickness : Notification demonstrate clearly the immunity
which the Borough enjoyed during the war period from epidemic diseases. Such immunity
was not a local one, but was shared by the Country generally. The contrast between the
experience qua epidemics of the War of 1914-18 with that of earlier wars—known historically
as "great wars"—was remarkable. The only disease which can be said to have left an
outstanding record during the past War is epidemic influenza, which prevailed on an unprecedented
scale during the latter half of 1918.
I cannot help thinking that the statistics dealing with tuberculosis will give rise to
disappointment, and especially so when cognisance is taken of the frequency of cases unknown
to your Health Department before death, and of the relatively large proportion of patients
dying in Poor Law Institutions. Some consolation may be found in the fact that the war
involved great dislocation of the services inaugurated in 1914 for the care of the tuberculous.
The Staff of the Department was somewhat depleted and had extra duties imposed upon
it in connection with National Registration and Food Control. In spite of that added work,
the records of the Staff's activities in the direction of sanitary supervision are, I think you
will find, satisfactory. Nevertheless, the figures included in Tables XIII. and XV. (Appendix)
and the remarks made on pages 33 and 38 demonstrate the fact that at the end of 1918 there
were considerable arrears of work to be cleared off. Such arrears were inevitable, having
regard to the time taken for the special war works already mentioned and to the difficulties
of obtaining labour and material for sanitary works.
Although the Departmental records were carefullv kept up throughout the war—for
which an acknowledgment is due to the Chief Clerk (Mr. Gower)—the task of collating the
material for this Report has been a heavy one. No one can be more conscious than I am of
the deficiencies in the Report, and I shall be more than content when the next Report (that
for 1919-20) shall be complete and the series of Annual Reports resumed.
I have the honour to be,
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant.
O.B.E., M.A., M.B., D.P.H.,
Medical Officer of Health.
Public Health Department,
Paddington, W. 2.
December, 1920.