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5
inspectorial staff. These cover not only such diverse matters as
the investigation and limitation of spread of infectious disease and
supervision of the food supply, but also the maintenance of
sanitary environment, which, whether in the workshop or the home,
is still the paramount concern. It will be noted that the food
supply is very carefully supervised, and that traders co-operate
well with the Food Inspectors as judged by the amount of food
voluntarily surrendered. The samples taken for analysis, approximately
6.1 per 1,000 population, illustrate what efficient steps
are taken to suppress the sophistication of food.
The standard of housing is not a high one, and, amongst so
much old property, continual vigilance is required to keep up
even the comparatively poor accommodation available. The record
of defects remedied, given on page 92, is highly satisfactory.
Conversely, however, it serves to demonstrate the most serious
single factor which so adversely affects the public health—unsuitable
and insufficient housing, with all that it connotes in the
way of overcrowding and consequential lowering of the physical,
moral and mental well-being of the people. Although the Borough
Council is fettered, by circumstances largely beyond its control,
in its ability to provide housing accommodation, there has been
satisfactory progress in all other branches of Public Health activity.
In the correlation of the work of the outdoor staff, the development
of new schemes, the recording and presenting, in statistical
form, of the progress made, there has been a large increase of
work placed upon the Clerical Staff, work which has been well
organised and well discharged.
In conclusion, I should like to express my thanks for the
careful and sympathetic consideration given by the Public Health
Committee to any matters brought before them, to the Staff of
the Public Health Department for their loyal co-operation, and
to my colleagues in other Departments for their help and assistance
in matters of mutual interest.
F. LEONARD KEITH,
Medical Officer of Health.