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3
To The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present to you the Annual Report of the
Medical Officer of Health for 1958.
Vital Statistics
It is interesting to note that this year the Registrar General
estimates the mid-year home population of the Borough as 115,700.
This is a reduction of nearly 5,000 on his estimate for the previous
year. From 1953 to 1957 there had been an estimated reduction of
only 3,000. The decennial census of population will be held in
1961, and those figures will be available shortly afterwards.
Infectious Disease
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that although
there were only five cases of poliomyelitis notified in the borough
in 1958, they were all paralytic. No less than three terminated
fatally, and all were adults of over 30 years. This underlines the
importance of poliomyelitis immunisation, and the necessity of
including the adult population in this respect.
Smoke Control Areas
Considerable attention continues to be paid by the department
to this most important aspect of our work. Details are contained
in the body of the report, and it is pleasing to record that it was
possible to complete the preliminary and final survey during the
year of the Hyde Park Ward. This important work will continue
until the entire borough becomes a Smoke Control Area within the
next ten years. Already plans are well advanced in respect of the
Lancaster Gate East Ward.
Slum Clearance
On the 6th January, 1958, the Council made the Paddington
Borough Council (Braithwaite Place and Adpar Street) Compulsory
Purchase Order, 1958. On the 17th June, 1958, the Minister of
Housing and Local Government held a Public Enquiry to hear
objections to the Order, and at the end of the year the Minister's
decision was being awaited. This was the largest Slum Clearance
project ever undertaken by the Paddington Borough Council and I
would like to express my admiration of the skill and care shewn by
your Area Inspector, Mr. V. L. Ronchetti, in the detailed and
extensive work associated with this slum clearance.
Report of the Borough Analyst
For the first time is included the Report of your Public Analyst
(C. Harcourt Wordsworth, B.Sc., F.R.I.C.). Mr. Wordsworth has
been your Analyst since 1949 and I felt you would wish to receive
from him personally an account of the important duties he is
undertaking on behalf of the Council.
Mortuary
On the 1st October, 1958, the Paddington Mortuary was closed
jn anticipation of the development of the Hall Park area for housing