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2
Public Health Department,
Town Hall, St. Marylebone, W.l.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Metropolitan Borough of St. Marylebone.
The standard of health in the Borough continued to be satisfactory during 1944. The birth-rate rose from 12.50
(1943) to 13.98. The death-rate declined from 17.02 (1943) to 15.34, and the infantile mortality rate of 47.18 remained
at practically the same low level of the previous year. Infectious disease notifications dropped from 949 (1943) to 671,
due mainly to a lessened incidence of measles and scarlet fever. Public health services were fully maintained throughout
the year, and an increased demand for the facilities available is reoorded in a number of directions.
Early in the year post-war reconstruction measures were considered and sohemes provisionally approved for the
erection of a combined mortuary, cleansing and disinfecting station and for the inclusion of a branch maternity and
child welfare centre in the planning of a municipal housing estate in the St. John's Wood area.
With the introduction of new forms of aerial bombardment, enemy activity in the Borough was greater during
1944 than in the previous year. The personnel of the Civil Defence Casualty and Emergency Mortuary Services, which
function under the direction of the Public Health Department, were called upon for operational duty on a number
of occasions and in the work they carried out maintained fully the high standard of efficiency reached in earlier years
of the War.
To the Chairman and Members of the Public Health and Maternity and Child Welfare Committee, I wish to express
my thanks and appreciation for their continued encouragement and unfailing support in the work of the Department.
By the death of Alderman John Fettes, J.P., who had been a member for 26 years and its Chairman from 1920 to 1923,
the Committee suffered a great loss. With his extensive knowledge, experience and understanding of the work, Mr.
Fettes brought to the Committee's deliberations a shrewdness, discrimination and kindliness which proved invaluable
throughout his long and notable association with the public health activities of the area. Mr. Fettes had served the
Council for 40 years; was Mayor of St. Marylebone on six occasions (1914-17 and 1932-35) and the first Honorary
Freeman of the Borough.
Again I acknowledge with gratitude the loyal assistance and co-operation of the staff, who have carried out their
normal and war-time duties untiringly and efficiently.
H. A. BULMAN,
Medical Officer of Health.
CONTENTS.
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Members or the Public Health Committee 3
Section A—Statistics and Social Conditions:—
General Statistics 3
Extracts from Vital Statistics 3
Births 3
Marriages 3
Maternal Mortality 3
Deaths 4
Infantile Mortality 4
Mortuary 4
Crematorium 5
Section B—General Provision of Health
Services:—
Staff 5
Laboratory Facilities 5
Home Nursing 5
Maternity and Child Welfare
Welfare Centres 5
Work of the Clinics 5
Home Visits 5
Milk and Vitamin Products 5
Day Nurseries 5.6
Home Helps 6
Child Life Protection 6
Illegitimate Children 6
Premature Infants 6
Dental Treatment 6
Maternity Cases 6
Convalescent Homes 6
Section C—Sanitary Circumstances:—
Water 6
Drainage 6
Combined Drainage 6
Public Conveniences 6
Public Cleansing and Salvage 6
Shops 6
Diseased or Infirm Persons 6
Bed Bugs 6
Verminous Persons 7
Rats and Mice 7
Dog Nuisance 7
Mosquitoes 7
Pigeons 7
Noise 7
Poisons 7
Factories 7
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Civil Defence 7
Sanitary Inspection 7
Section d—Housing:—
War-damaged Dwellings 8
Adaptation of Preijiises 8
Empty Properties 8
Factory-made Houses 8
New Blocks of Flats 8
Inspection of Dwelling Houses 8
Common Lodging Houses 8
Publio Air-Raid Shelters 8
Section e—Food:—
Milk Supply 8
Meat and Other Foods:—
Unsound Food 8
Slaughterhouse 8
Food Premises 8
Ice Cream Premises 8
Butter and Margarine Premises 8
Bakehouses 8
Fried Fish Vendors and Fish Curers 8
Restaurants, etc. 8
Horseflesh 8
Bacteriological Examinations 8
Food and Drugs Act, 1938 9
Section F—Infectious and Other Diseases:—
Notifications 9
Diphtheria Immunisation 9-10
Smallpox 10
Vaccination 10
Scabies 10
Impetigo 10
Dysentery 10
Venereal Diseases 10
Insulin 10
Tuberculosis:—
New Cases and Mortality 10
Notifications 11
Dispensary 11
Institutional Treatment 11
Maintenance Allowances 11
Government Rehabilitation Scheme 11
Miniature Mass Radiography 11
Care Committee 11
Disinfection 11
Bacteriological Examinations 11