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Public Health Department,
Deptford Town Hall, S.E.14.
April, 1952.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Deptford.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit the Annual Report on the health and
sanitary circumstances of the Borough during 1951.
In order that the report shall be accurate in detail it is necessary to
await the receipt of the details of registered births, deaths etc., from the
Registrar General, and I shall consequently have left the service of the
Council before this Report can be published.
In view of the high costs of printing I have endeavoured to condense
the report as much as possible whilst retaining the statistical data which
may be of use in subsequent years and which may not, in the future, be
readily obtainable from other sources.
The year 1951 was a period of steady progress in Deptford and whilst
there were no outstanding advances nor any major calamities, there was
a gradual improvement in hygiene and living standards throughout the
year in the face of substantial difficulties and shortages.
Environmental public health is very largely bound up with housing
and many of the housing problems are of a national and possibly a
political nature which cannot be solved on a local basis, but in spite of
this, it was possible during 1951 to deal with many minor problems.
These small matters taken individually are of little consequence but
taken as a whole provide grounds for reasonable satisfaction —if indeed
it can be considered that any satisfaction is justified whilst the major
problems remain.
I am indebted to the Council and particularly to the Members of the
Public Health Committee for their encouragement and to the Officers
of the Council for their ready help and co-operation. My thanks are
also due to my own staff for their loyal assistance at all times.
I remain,
Your obedient Servant,
R. Duncan Dewar,
Medical Officer of Health.