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1
Town Hall,
Hammersmith, W.6.
Telephone: Riverside 3020.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to present my Annual Report upon the health and
circumstances of the Borough for the year 1959. Once again, I
regret that it was not possible to publish it earlier as the Registrar
General's figures required to calculate various statistics were not
available, and a short illness of my own further delayed matters.
Infectious disease has again decreased and poliomyelitis
remained scarce. A large outbreak of food poisoning caused by one
of the Salmonella group of organisms took up much time of the
Health Department, but eventually after three months it was cotrolled
and no new cases occurred.
In June the Health Department were asked to assist the Old
People's Welfare Department in much of their work and since then
we have played a constantly increasing part in their affairs. Much
attention has been given to the meals service for which the demand
appears to be insatiable and we have found this work particularly
rewarding.
The year was a somewhat mournful one for all his friends
because at Christmas time Mr. Percy W. Pottier retired and went
to live by the sea at Lancing. He had served the Department for 40
years, the last 19 of which had been as Administrative Officer. A
brilliant man, and a glutton for work, he had been of incalculable
help to Medical Officer of Health Dr. Howell, Medical Officer of
Health Dr. Brodie, and since my appointment in July, 1946, to
myself.
Lung cancer is much in the public and medical eye at the
moment. Fulhams' Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Settle, has
referred to the death rate in Fulham. Fulham exceeds Hammersmith
in population in the proportion of 113,300 to 108,900. Lung
cancer killed 96 Fulham people in the year under review, whilst in
Hammersmith only 63 died. The percentage involved may have
some significance, but I have difficulty in identifying it.
Since Dr. Settle's figures were published I have been in touch
with him and we propose to work together on the problem.
In conclusion I wish to express my gratitude to the Chairman,
Vice-Chairman and Members of the Health Committee, and also
to the staff who have all assisted me very helpfully during the
period under review and who, I am sure, will do so also in the
future.
I am, Your Worship, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
F. M. DAY,
Medical Officer of Health.