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2
REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH FOR 1952
high state of efficiency in which he left the Department. I am sure
it is the wish of everyone that Dr. Caley will enjoy many years of
happy and fruitful retirement.
The year under consideration was not one of any particular note
from the health point of view. The population of the borough
fell slightly as compared with the previous year. There was a slight
reduction in the death rate and also in the birth rate as compared
with 1951, while the infant mortality rate, that is to say, the number
of deaths of infants of under one year of age per 1,000 live births,
remained at 23, the figure for 1951. The number of deaths from
causes associated with childbirth was three, and the still-birth rate
was 16.6. There was a decrease in the number of infectious disease
notifications, due mainly to a large reduction in the incidence of
measles and whooping cough compared with the previous year. The
number of cases of scarlet fever showed a slight increase, while
there were 39 cases of infantile paralysis. Of these, 16 fortunately
were of the non-paralytic type. Two hundred and thirty cases of
dysentery were notified as compared with 117 in the previous year,
a high proportion of these being in various mental hospitals situated
within the borough. Special attention was paid by the Department
to the investigation and control of cases of dysentery occurring at
home. The number of deaths from tuberculosis dropped from 107
to 95.
Of the many duties with which the Department has been concerned,
either directly or indirectly, perhaps I should make special mention
of one of the most important problems in public health and sociology
of to-day, namely, the welfare of old people. We have tried to give
particular attention to this very important subject, over and above
our statutory obligations, by assisting and co-ordinating the many
voluntary associations in the borough, which are doing such excellent
work themselves in this sphere. We hope thus to weld together
both voluntary and official bodies into one cohesive service whose
one aim is the welfare of old people.
A good deal of attention has been paid to the supervision of
catering establishments, which involves a considerable amount of work
in a borough of the size of Wandsworth. Towards the end of the
year the new By-Laws for the Protection of Food made by the
London County Council came into force, and the opportunity was
taken by the Food Inspectors of visiting the traders concerned to
give them every help and guidance in complying with the by-laws.
1952 was the first complete year in which the new and somewhat
unusual system of public health administration in Wandsworth was
in operation. I refer, of course, to the arrangement by which the
Medical Officer of Health of Wandsworth is also Medical Officer of
Health of the adjoining Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and
Divisional Medical Officer for the London County Council Health
Division 9, while the Deputy Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth
is also Assistant Divisional Medical Officer. I do not wish to
make more than a brief reference to this important subject in this