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70
As if this were hardly a sufficient handicap to health many of
our inhabitants add cigarette smoking for good measure. It is no
wonder that deaths and disabilities from respiratory diseases are
mounting. Our death rate from bronchitis is some 3 or 4 times that
of most European countries. Over 33 million working days are lost
each year from chronic bronchitis (10 times those lost by industrial
disputes) and some 5,500 hospital beds are in continuous occupation
by bronchitic patients whose average stay is about 4 weeks. Sir
George Godber, Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health
has stated that "cigarette smoking is the largest single avoidable
cause of disability and death and the number of annual deaths
attributable to cigarette smoking must now approach 100,000 in the
United Kingdom". There could be no clearer warning and doctors,
nurses and teachers in particular need to take a more positive stand
against such a destructive habit. Example will prove to be much
more effective than precept. Unfortunately, there is a general
apathy towards cigarette smoking and its connection with respiratory disease which is particularly evident among school children.
Even the government is half-hearted with regard to the introduction
of anti-smoking measures.
Another concomitant of cigarette smoking, namely lung cancer,
with an annual death toll of 30,000 is killing more people than
tuberculosis did seventy years ago. It would seem that man's
desire for self-immolation is insatiable.
Although successfully controlled, tuberculosis, a major cause
of prolonged illness and early demise at the turn of the century,
has not yet been eliminated and, under certain conditions, a
recrudescence is possible. Constant vigilance is essential.
Since the publicising of the pollen count in daily newspapers
asthma, that most distressing of complaints with psychosomatic as
well as physical origins and familial connections, would appear to
be more prevalent than previously supposed.
Often associated with other illnesses such as rheumatism, chest
infections, which are a common source of absenteeism in industry,
are subject to intensive investigation as are their relationships
with dust inhalation.
Virus infections, of which over 100 are known to affect the
lung, cannot be treated by antibiotics and are particularly serious
and especially deadly in the case of the very young infant.
A great deal of research into chest infections is proceeding,
successfully and unobtrusively, but much of the country's respiratory disability could be eliminated by intelligent application of the
principles of health and hygiene—clearly a field in which the
Borough's Health Education Section should excel.