View report page

5
the same day, and both sides of the club have been very successful.
The committee is glad to help clubs which are looking after the needs
of old people, and since good nutrition is so highly important in
preventing a breakdown of physical and mental conditions in old age,
the committee does what it can to encourage organisations to provide
lunches. These lunches are usually obtained in bulk through the Meals
on Wheels service of the Lewisham Old People's Welfare Association
and they are retailed at a price made low by the fact that they receive
a central grant. •
Social medicine statistics
In section A, vital statistics, will be found some comments on
the statistics of occupational or social class which have been obtained
from 11 of the 14 towns in the United Kingdom which have a population
between 200,000 and 300,000. This analysis shows promise of revealing
some intersting factors and it is hoped to keep it on for three years in
all, mainly for two purposes : first, that this will produce much greater
numbers in the statistics and thereby make them more accurate, and
secondly, it will iron out differences which may occur through certain
events which might take place in one year and not in another, e.g., a
bad winter leading to increased cases of pneumonia and bronchitis ;
or an epidemic of influenza. Included in this section also will be
found a more detailed analysis of the Lewisham births and deaths in
social class.
In ending the introduction to this report I wish to express my
thanks to the health department staff for their work during the year.
My thanks are also due to the Public Health committee for their
support and guidance in the work done. The committee at the end of
the year was constituted as follows :—
Councillor C. P. Braithwaite (Chairman); Councillor New
(Vice-Chairman); The Mayor (Councillor H. M. Pinnell, j.p.) ;
Aldermen Carter, Mrs. Huggett and Street; Councillors Mrs.
Armstrong, Mrs. Bunce, Mrs. Drapper, j.p., Duhan, m.c., Evans,
Fisher, Hasling, Hawes, Mrs. Land, Oliver, Mrs. Smith, Spencer
and P. E. Stoffel.