View report page

3
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of
the Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth.
Your Worship, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present to you the 96th Annual Report
upon the health of the Borough of Lambeth. The general health of
the population has again been phenomenally good except for the
results of the disastrous smoke pall which enveloped the whole
metropolis and beyond around th e weekend 13th/14th December. The
deaths in London from influenza bronchi tis and pneumoni a shot up
from 123 to 896 for the week ending December 13th and did not fall
to the highest weekly figure of the previous winter, 182, until
the second week in March. For the ten weeks succeeding the smoke
pall, the number of deaths never fell below the 300 level except
once, and for four of them the average was 527. Many of these
deaths were directly caused by the incomplete combustion products
of coal largely that used on the domestic hearth which as a rule
wastes at least 80% of the coal used upon it. The unwashed
combustion products from factory plants contain large volumes
of sulphur fumes which play havoc with the lungs of elderly
people as readily as they eat into the stone of our public buildings.
There is nothing whatever to prevent a similar tragedy
befalling the people of Lambeth in the coming winter, and not
necessarily upon one occasion only.
The mortality from infectious diseases has again been on a
small scale despite the measles epidemic which was well under
weigh by June, diminished considerably during the school holidays
in August and then, contrary to expectations, carried on right
through the winter and following spring. Whooping cough, so much
more to be dreaded for infants than measles, never assumed
epidemic proportions but every week throughout the year from 5
to 20 and more cases were notified. Diphtheria was not notified once.
The loss of sanitary inspectors attracted by better pay
elsewhere and the lack of answers to advertisements offering grades
I-IV made it necessary to follow the lead of other authorities
and to advertise up to grade V. This achieved the object and there
are now no vacancies, nevertheless there were one or two districts
which were without an inspector for many months and which were
covered By the inspectors of adjoining districts, a circumstance
which is wholly unsatisfactory.
I am grateful for the consideration and understanding of
difficulties accorded to me by the Public Health Committee, for
the help and cordial co operation of all the Chief Officers of
the Council and especially to the staff of the Public Health
Department.
July, 1953.
Medical Officer of Health