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47
within the County. Preparations are accordingly being made for the
drafting of a joint Bill with the Kent County Council with a view to
presentation in the Parliamentary Session of November, 1960."
In the interim, the London County Council, in co-operation
with the consulting engineers appointed by the Kent County
Council, is proceeding on the preparation of a co-ordinated scheme
of improvement of the river.
Atmospheric Pollution—General.— Pollution of the atmosphere
and its alleged association with cancer is still engaging the
attention of eminent men of medicine and surgery. In a recent
paper entitled "Cancer and its Cause," Professor F. C. Pybus,
Emeritus Professor of Surgery of Durham University, has postulated
that cancer forming agents in smoke are the main cause of the
disease and that "since man discovered fire and learned to use it he
doomed himself and posterity to the possibilities of cancer."
In essence, the inference was that cancer was man made; that
it was in effect a dirt disease and therefore preventable. Other conclusions
reached by Professor Pybus were, that Britain is said to be
the smokiest country in the world ; that everything is contaminated
by smoke and soot; that estimates of benzpyrene show that most
persons could get a "lethal" dose and that domestic smoke causes
carcinoma in animal experiments. He further stated that "those
who produce smoke—individuals, public and local authorities, State
institutions and boards—are guilty of an anti-social act and are
indeed public enemies."
In support of this view a paper entitled "Epidemiology of
Cancer" by Dr. Percy Stocks ended with the following statement:—
"In my opinion the inescapable answer to all this is that in face
of the rapidly rising mortality from lung cancer and the strength
of the evidence jointly incriminating atmospheric and cigarette
smoke, everything possible should be done to remove or prevent
the production of carcinogens already known to be present, to
educate people as to the risks and discourage boys and girls from
acquiring the cigarette habit and to reduce the pollution of the air
in towns by potentially carcinogenic substances."
In this respect the most suitable agency for the dissemination
of information regarding the relationship between air pollution and
cancer would appear to be the local authority whose responsibility
it is to ensure that its area becomes effectively smoke controlled at
the earliest opportunity.
Clean Air Act, 1956. Provisions relating to the installation of
new furnaces, smoke control areas, height of chimneys, research