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there being 14 compared with 24 in the previous year. Reference to
the table in the body of the report showing deaths from tuberculosis
indicates how the death rate over the years has progressively dropped.
Among the matters to which we have been giving attention is the
care of old people. This has come to be an extremely important
subject, because the proportion of old people in the population is
gradually increasing. Our lady Sanitary Inspector does a great deal
of work in connection with old people, and in conjunction with the
health services of the London County Council much can be done
to help them and to ease their path by arranging for the services of
a Home Help and, if necessary, a Home Nurse. In addition to these,
many old people welcome the "Meals on Wheels" service, and the
Battersea Old People's Welfare Committee does excellent work.
Nevertheless, occasions do occur when individual old people give us
a good deal of anxiety, particularly in those cases where an old person
lives alone, and has often to be left alone at night. There is often
considerable pressure on hospital beds, and it is not always possible
to obtain the admittance of an old person to hospital immediately.
Moreover, many old people wish, and quite rightly so, to remain at
home, and will not consent to go into hospital even though such a
course may be advisable. In some such cases, action may have to
be taken for the compulsory removal to hospital, but every effort is
made to P ersuade the old person to go away voluntarily. There is
little doubt that the problem of the care of old people will make
increasing demands on Health Departments in the coming years, and
it is one to which we are giving a good deal of our attention.
I reported last year the resignation of Mr. F. H. Chuter as Chief
Sanitary Inspector, and the Council in due course selected Mr. G.
weeks to succeed him as Chief Sanitary Inspector. Mr. Weeks had
already served the Council as a Sanitary Inspector for over twenty
years and thus had a wide knowledge of the area. It is with great
pleasure he that I welcome Mr. Weeks to the new and important office
Which he has taken over, with the good wishes of everybody.
It is almost a matter of custom, in the annual report by the Medical
Officer of Health, to acknowledge the help and assistance that one
receives from various agencies and people, without whose help and
assistance the work of the Health Department would be immeasurably
more difficult. Because I once again this year so acknowledge the
help I have received, I would not wish it to be thought that this is
merely a matter of routine, since I am again very sincerely grateful
to all those people who have rendered the Health Department their usual
help and ass istance during the year. It is a pleasure to thank Miss
E. A. Coles, J.P., the Chairman of the Battersea Health Committee,
for her support and guidance on so many matters; and also the various
Committees with the work of which I am concerned, particularly the
Health, Baths and Wash-houses Committee, and the Housing Committee.
Again the Chief Officers of the Council have given me every
possible helP, in particular Mr. R. G. Berry, O.B.E., the news of
whose retirement from the service of the Council was received with
very great regret by everybody, none more so than myself and the
Helth Department. For the four years during which I had the
privilege of working with Mr. Berry he was of the greatest possible
help to me, and his unfailing courtesy and encouragement were very