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the same way. Early seeking of medical advice when there is departure from normal
health and vigour, especially in the young adult, would assist in the detection of
lung illness at a time when the road to recovery may be shortened. Reference has
also been made in the Report to the increase in deaths from cancer of the lung,
and to the manner of pollution of the air we breathe, which it is thought may
provoke the onset of lung cancer, if it does not actually cause it. This would seem
to call for the placing before the public of the facts, as we know them at present,
so that the public will request and support preventive action. Television and
broadcasting are proving their importance as an educational medium, and lung
cancer has also been the subject of discussion in Parliament.
While most infections are dimishing, it is regretted that more cases of food
poisoning were reported in 1953 than in any previous year. Although most cases of
food poisoning are not severely ill and recovery is usually complete within 24 to
48 hours, the consequences might be very serious to the young and the old. In any
event, it would seem very desirable to avoid food poisoning and to prevent the
occurrence of even a relatively mild sickness. Increasing attention is being paid to
the education of the public and all concerned with food handling, and in addition
to the regular and routine supervision of food premises and clean food publicity and
education which goes on all the time, special efforts were made with the organisation
of a successful Food Hygiene Exhibition, with the full co-operation of an important
local catering firm, as well as special talks in the Schools, and particular attention to
the inclusion of suitable films in the Health Publicity Film Shows.
Under the Section dealing with the Supervision of Food, mention will be found
of several Orders which came into force during the year. There was probably a
greater number of Orders issued on food matters than on any other single section of
of the Department's activities. The ending of the control of flour was signalised by
the Flour Order, 1953, and the Bread Order, 1953, which gave freedom to the
manufacture of National bread, brown bread, whiter bread and wholemeal bread.
The importance of bread in the National diet has continued to be recognised by the
requirements that calcium must be added to all types of flour except wholemeal, and
flours of less than 80 per cent. extraction must have certain specified additions in
compensation for the extracted items. The Merchandise Marks Act, 1953, strengthened
the law in regard to more correct descriptions being given in the labelling of
foods and drugs including proprietary medicines.
Dysentery is another intestinal infection over the spread of which we have
little control at present. Its spread is thought to be promoted by faulty hygiene,
and it is not thought, in general, that it is a food infection although under certain
circumstances it could act in this way. The incidence of dysentery in Islington
tends to be rather higher than that for London as a whole. It may be that this is
related to the sanitary circumstances disclosed above, although up to the present
it has not been possible to produce any definite proof. Technical enquiries, however,
are proceeding.
The particular importance of environmental hygiene in this Borough gives
special point to observations in the Report of the Working Party on the Recruitment,