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3
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
St. Marylebone, W.l.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Metropolitan Borough of St. Marylebone.
Mr. Mayor, my Lord, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The general standard of health in the Borough throughout 1949 may be regarded as satisfactory.
Notifications of infectious and other diseases rose from 732 (1948) to 851, due mainly to a greater
prevalence of scarlet fever and to food poisoning outbreaks, though, fortunately, no death resulted
from either of these causes. No case of diphtheria was reported during the year.
The birth-rate declined from 12.87 (1948) to 11.44, and the death-rate of 12.00 showed an increase
over the 1948 figure (10.48). The infantile mortality rate of 22.39 reached a new record low level.
The civilian population of 78,050, as estimated by the Registrar-General, showed an upward trend,
being over 2,000 more than the estimate (75,980) for the previous year.
Food hygiene continued to receive special attention, and the preliminary steps taken to establish
a Clean Food Association in the Borough are described in Section E of this report. Related to this
campaign for cleanliness was the decision of the Council to provide free washing facilities in all public
conveniences to encourage personal hygiene and to prevent the spread of disease.
Rodent control measures were greatly intensified, more especially in an endeavour to combat the
menace of the black rat. The number of operatives employed was increased from three to six, and
special attention was directed to "block control" in the eastern part of the Borough. In the majority
of infestations the owners or occupiers of the premises involved took advantage of the rodent
destruction service provided by the Council.
A considerable amount of useful work in the care of old people was again carried out by the
Department—much of it outside the limited statutory powers possessed by the Council. The local
Old People's Welfare Association also reported a year of great activity in various directions, and more
particularly in the establishment of a home for the aged inhabitants of the Borough. An innovation
that created general interest was the introduction of an emergency laundry service for old people
which is proving successful in meeting a long-felt want.
The work of the sanitary inspectors showed a marked increase, and towards the close of the year a
complete survey of factories was commenced.
As regards weather, the year 1949 was the sunniest since observations were first made in 1880, the
sun shining for 300 hours above the average. The long dry spell began in September, 1948, and
lasted thirteen months, and the lack of rain caused anxiety in many districts before relief came in
October.
My thanks are due to the Chairman (Councillor Captain Robert Whitney, M.B.E., J.P.) and
members of the Public Health Committee for the consideration and encouragement they gave me
throughout 1949 ; to my colleagues in other Departments of the Council for their co-operation and
assistance ; and to the staff of the Public Health Department for their continued loyalty and support
in the public health work of the Borough.
I am,
Mr. Mayor, my Lord, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
H. A. BULMAN,
Medical Officer of Health,