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7
prising that most of us have been conditioned to minimising or
ignoring the risks to our health. Compare the vast sums spent to
publicise the wonders of the tobacco weed, on the most powerful
advertising medium ever known to mankind, with the facilities
which exist or are given any support, to present the other side of the
picture. I wonder how many would bother about "flavour blur" or
any of the other meaningless nonsense of the professional advertiser
if they could observe the terminal phases of a bronchial carcinoma.
As one would expect, heart and circulatory diseases are still the
major cause of deaths but there was a reduction of 32 this year.
Coronary thrombosis and high blood pressure are diseases primarily
of the favoured nations and heart and coronary deaths seem to
increase in direct proportion to the standard of living of a community.
Heredity of course plays some part in pre-disposing to
coronary disease but the secret may lie in the diet, particularly in
the consumption of fats, and the ratio of the different fats one to
the other.
Notification of measles was largely responsible for the large
increase in notifications of infectious diseases. Dysentery was also
troublesome and necessitated a great deal of work in the department
in regard to contact control and the bacteriological examination of
specimens. Poliomyelitis was practically absent, the only two notifications
being in respect of non-residents. Food poisoning
accounted for 43 notifications, all of which were closely investigated.
Work in connection with the campaign for clean air continued
and detailed information is available in the body of the Report.
Polluted atmosphere almost certainly encourages lung malignancy
and for very much the same reasons as tobacco smoke, namely that
a polluted atmosphere contains chemicals and irritants which predispose
to malignant tumour growth. The first Smoke Control
Order in Greenwich has been confirmed by the Minister and others
will follow with increasing speed. No informed citizen now doubts
the eventual benefit to be derived from Smoke Control Areas and
the public are now demanding a clean atmosphere with the same
emphasis as our forefathers demanded sewerage systems and a
wholesome water supply.
The work of the Old People's Welfare Association is allied
closely to that of the department and I include an account of the
work for the year. Our staff has been increased and the work done
for aged persons has naturally expanded. Once again we have
called heavily on the hospital and institution facilities and our
thanks are due to the many agencies, both official and voluntary,
who have given much help.