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tributory factors. Considering the age groups at which these deaths
took place it is sad to note that in the case of lung cancer and
coronary disease, a large number occurred predominantly in the
most economically productive and socially effective period of life.
One thousand, eight hundred and eighty notifications of infectious
diseases were received in 1966 as compared with 3,474 in
1965. This decrease is accounted for, in the main, by the reduction
in the incidence of measles, since 1966 was not a "measles"
year. Infectious diseases in general did not cause any particular
concern and I am glad to report that there was a reduction in the
number of Sonne dysentery cases as compared with the previous
year, namely, 107 against 263. Five cases of typhoid fever were
notified, the same as in the previous year and it is interesting that
in four of these, the source of infection was again from abroad.
During the year, there were outbreaks of smallpox of a minor
type in various parts of the country, notably the Midlands and South
Wales and although no case arose in Wandsworth the general
alert that the presence of smallpox in the country rightly generates,
presented us with a number of problems and various cases were
visited where general practitioners had cause to suspect smallpox.
Some of these cases presented difficult diagnostic problems and it
is a pleasure to acknowledge the help given by, and also to thank,
the Consultant Physician to the Infectious Diseases Unit at St.
George's Hospital, who saw some of the cases in consultation.
Although there were no dramatic health hazards in Wandsworth
in 1966, the year was an extremely busy one for the Health
Department. It may in fact be described as a year of adjustment
and development where the functioning of the provisional organisation
set up 1965 was scrutinized and future developments reviewed.
The Organisation and Methods team began an independent
survey of the administration and staffing structure of the Health
Department towards the end of 1965. A departmental review had
already been undertaken. As a result, certain modifications and
amendments have been made which have had the effect of strengthening
the departmental organisation. Thus, on the administrative
side the original five sections were reduced to three, namely, Management,
Personal Health Services and Environmental Health Services,
with some consequential staffing adjustments. The result has been
that procedures have been streamlined and give an increasing
efficiency. The professional staffing was also reviewed ; as a result
the senior nursing staff was strengthened by the introduction of a
post of Deputy Principal Nursing Officer and the mental health
staff by two posts of Assistant Principal Mental Welfare Officers.
These new appointments, both on the nursing and the mental
health side, have had the effect of strengthening the services on the
professional level.
The arrangements for chiropody previously had been the responsibility
of three separate departments, namely, the Health