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4
Tuberculosis
The number of new notifications, which had increased slightly last
year compared with the previous year, dropped in 1956 to 212, the
lowest on record. This is equivalent to a rate of 88 per 100,000 population
for pulmonary tuberculosis and 8 for other forms. The number of
deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis at 29 was equivalent to a rate of
13 per 100,000 population. This is slightly more than last year but
there also seems to be a definite falling off in the number of new cases.
When it is borne in mind that increasing efforts are made to ascertain
new cases (by followup of contacts, mass X-ray and so on) this fall in
the incidence is gratifying.
Food hygiene
The number of notified cases of food poisoning was 46 and this
was much the same as in previous years. Throughout the year the food
inspectors continued to give advice to occupiers of food shops with
regard to general hygiene and pest control. The Food and Drugs Act,
1955 and the Regulations made under it came into force on January 1,
1956-although a few of the Regulations did not become fully operative
until July 1. As a rather different method of registration of certain food
premises is laid down under the new Act, the opportunity was taken to
revise completely the food register. All registered premises were therefore
noted for revisiting and detailed inspection, and applications for the
registration of the necessary parts of the premises were put to the
committee for approval. The opportunity was taken of giving further
advice to the shopkeepers, both verbal and written, and as a result many
premises which could be regarded as substandard were brought up to a
reasonably hygienic level. The work of reregistration was not completed
by the end of the year
Old people
One additional club applied for and received grant aid, and
altogether twelve clubs or organisations were in receipt of grant from
the Council. Details are shown in the body of the report. The grant is
reviewed each year and perhaps the chief factor in any upward revision
is the indication (by the atmosphere of the club and particularly by the
expansion of existing facilities and the institution of new facilities)
that the club is increasing its activities or comfort for its members. The
health committee are especially pleased to see the institution or extension
of lunch club facilities as they are aware that defective nutrition is one
of the major factors leading to physical and even mental deterioration
in old people. Similarly the committee give considerable encouragement
to the running of the meals-on-wheels service for housebound old people
a service which is administered by the Lewisham Old People's
Welfare Association. The admission of old people who are not acutely
ill to a hospital or a Home remains a difficult problem and a fuller report
on this is made in the main section (p. 29).