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i
BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK
Public Health Department,
Walworth Road, S.E.17.
The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors,
Metropolitan Borough of Southwark.
Your Worship, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to submit the Annual Report of the Health Department
for the year 1954.
The population figure of 95,370, as estimated by the
Registrar General, shows a further decline of 1,500 persons on
the previous year's figure.
The General Death rate of 11.5, and the infant mortality
rate of 20.6, are both near records.
The infectious diseases also showed a considerable decline.
The year 1954 may therefore be regarded as a healthy one,
as indicated by the statistics kept by your Department.
Before leaving the subject of infection, I would like to
draw special attention to the question of Food Poisoning and
Dysentery; both of which remained unnecessarily high. I
repeat unnecessarily high because the cause and spread of these
infections is largely dependent on the personal hygiene of our
food handlers and the population as a whole; a high incidence,
except in exceptional instances, is a reflection of our personal
habits. The continued high incidence of Dysentery caused me
much anxiety, and I decided to issue a leaflet on the subject,
drawn up in simple but straightforward language, as follows:—
"Dysentery is a highly contagious acute diarrhoeal
disease, the motions often containing blood and mucous.
It is caused by a germ which gains entrance to the body
through the mouth.
The commonest method of spread is by "infected"
hands—fouled after use of W.C.
A person suffering from Dysentery may infect the
W.C. seat, the lavatory chain and handle, and also door
handle; and in this way infect another person using the
same W.C. shortly after.