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Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Marylebone Road, N.W.1.
22nd April, 1927
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Metropolitan Borough of
St. Marylebone.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour, as Medical Officer of Health, to submit my Annual Report on
the health of the Borough of St. Marylebone during the year 1926. In accordance
with the instructions of the Ministry of Health I have gone less into detail than was
the case in the report for 1925, which was what is called a " Survey" repirt. Though
considered worthy only a mere " chronicle " report, 1926 was exceedingly important
and saw a number of events of great interest and the initiation of one, viz., the
representation of the Carlisle Street area and the passing of the Council's resolution
with regard thereto, that will undoubtedly be fraught with great and beneficial
consequences to the health of a large section of the population of the Borough. In
the body of the report this matter is touched upon as are also a number of others to
which reference need not be made here.
Amongst events that may be noted is the visit that was paid at the beginning of
the year by a number of foreign medical officers of health under the auspices oE the
League of Nations. The group, which included representatives from Canada, from
Panama, from France and Austria and Greece, was attached to the Public Health
Department, and remained in the Borough for several days studying the methods
adopted and viewing the various activities of the Council in relation to Public Health
particularly. The delegates were greatly impressed by what they saw and expressed
great appreciation of the opportunities for study offered to them. Not least did they
appreciate the splendid hospitality of the Mayor (Mr. Councillor Tonkin) and the
cordial welcome extended by him and by members of the Council. It is a source of
great gratification to me that the Borough should have been chosen as one of those to
be visited and that the Council so very readily and generously afforded facilities for
the making of the observations by the visitors. In this, naturally, the Public Health
Committee were most prominent and I desire to express to them my thanks for this
and generally for the help and kindness they continue to show me. Under Mr. Hugh
Jones and later Mr. Alderman Brooks as Chairmen, the Committee have displayed the
greatest interest in the work and are always ready to give consideration to any
suggestion likely to lead to the betterment of health conditions within the Borough,
and to offer to me guidance and encouragement as occasion requires. To the staff of
the department I must also express sincere thanks for the help they have given
and the loyalty and devotion they have shown to their work and to myself.
I am,
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
CHARLES PORTER,
Medical Officer of Health,