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ii
Watching children at play, it was quite obvious that they preferred
to play in the insanitary "bombed sites," where they could
dig holes, build bricks and drag around pieces of old iron, rather than
avail themselves of the sanitary, tidy playgrounds provided by the
Borough Council. Moreover, in spite of our warnings to avoid
crowded places, as the weather was very hot, one found large crowds
of children playing in and around the ponds in the parks and gardens.
A point of interest, particularly to me, was the fact that in the
surrounding districts immediately over the boundaries of the
Borough there were no cases of Polio, and I was forced to the conclusion,
by this and other facts which I had found, that fairly close
contact with a case or carrier was necessary for the spread of the
disease. A point perhaps worth noting is the fact that two or three
weeks before the onset of the epidemic there had been several cases
of a febrile condition which had been termed "Flu" amongst the
adults living in some of the buildings where the first cases of Polio
were notified; the symptoms of this illness were a general malaise
with headache, sore throat and feverishness, severe enough in some
cases to lay up the patient. A similar type of illness was found in a
few of the families both before and after a case of Polio had occurred
in the family.
In mid December, following in the wake of Polio, Dysentery broke
out in epidemic form. This epidemic also eventually turned out to
be the heaviest yet experienced here. Last year in my report I
wrote at length on the cause of this disease, and preventive measures
and I therefore do not intend to take up further space now.
The problems for the care of the older citizens of the Borough are
ever increasing. In the autumn the Council asked the Town Clerk
and Medical Officer to discuss these problems to ascertain how far
they were being met and to make further suggestions for enlarging
and bettering the services already in existence. This report, duly
presented by the Town Clerk, was given very careful and serious
consideration by the Members of the Council, and already decisions
have been taken which, when put into operation—I hope next year—will
prove of the greatest value and help to the old people. A report
on the work of the Old People's Welfare Committee will be found in
the body of the report.
I would like to record in this report that in September, with the
full concurrence of the Council, I took over the additional duties as
Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth upon the retirement from
that post of Dr. A. G. Thompson, until such time as a new Medical
Officer of Health was appointed.
My best thanks are due to the various members of the Council and
Chief Officers for the consideration they always give to me, and to
the staff of the Public Health Department for their ever willing
help and co-operation in the exceptionally heavy work throughout
the year.
I have the honour to be,
Your obedient servant,
W. STOTT.
Medical Officer of Health.