View report page

older houses. This is accompanied by an increase in the standard of housekeeping
and although there always were many very good housewives in the Borough and on
the other hand there still are some bad ones the standard has noticeably risen
and this is, I think, reflected in the better health of the community and especially
of the children.
During 1952 the high death rate and the low birth rate compared very unfavourably
with other areas; during 1953 both these rates improved very satisfactorily
but it would be unwise to draw any definite conclusions until it is seen whether
these trends are maintained.
One disturbing feature is the continued increase in the number of cases of
cancer of the lung and it has been shown by many investigations that tobacco
smoking, although by no means the only cause, is at least a contributory factor.
Where smoking has contributed to the disease it is probably in persons who have
been smoking fairly heavily for 20 years or more and so far as we know stopping
smoking at this stage will make little or no difference. What is to be deplored
is that young people should fall into the same bad habit. Tobacco smoking is
thoroughly bad; it does no good whatever and apart from being a factor in the
causation of cancer it causes a considerable amount of indifferent health. It is
hoped that everybody will join in discouraging young people from acquiring the
habit.
Standards of food hygiene have shown some improvement and the greater variety
-7-