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Appreciation.
We would like to thank the officers of the Association for their continued support and the
Medical Officer of Health and his staff for their guidance and help.
The past and the future.
The Food and Drugs Act, 1938, laid down certain standards for food shops but, owing to the war,
these were never fully implemented. After the war a new awareness of the need for a higher standard
of food hygiene came into being and Clean Food Associations were formed up and down the country
with Codes of Practice in advance of the minimum requirements as then laid down.
There is no doubt that this leadership in Clean Food eventually helped to stimulate the introduction
of new legislation in the form of the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, and the Food Hygiene Regulations,
1955. These new Regulations incorporated much of the Codes of Practice of the Clean Food
Associations. All food shops have now to reach a much higher minimum standard than before as
the Borough Council is empowered to require a degree of improvement in food handling techniques
and of food premises which previously could only be attained by persuasion. The Clean Food
Association has thus largely achieved its original aim and many of its functions, although of great
value in the past, would now seem to have lost much of their former purpose. It is, however,
proposed that the Association should continue, at least, for a time and any suggestions or comments
by the Members would be welcomed at the Annual General Meeting."
SECTION F.—INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES—PREVALENCE
AND CONTROL
The total number of cases of infectious disease reported in the Borough during 1958 was nearly 300
less than in the previous year. Much of this reduction was due to a falling off in the incidence of
measles. This disease tends to be especially prevalent in two-yearly cycles and 1958 was not a "peak"
year, although the number notified, 246, was nearly twice that of 1956, the previous low incidence year.
Dysentery showed an increase of 26 cases over 1957 but no apparent cause for this could be ascertained.
The cases were scattered throughout the Borough and most of those affected were children. There
was one case of typhoid fever. The cause could not be ascertained but it is thought that the patient
may have become infected whilst on holiday in Spain. No cases of acute poliomyelitis were notified
during the year and again there was no diphtheria.
Tuberculosis.
Table 18, page 34, gives information regarding primary notifications of pulmonary and
non-pulmonary tuberculosis received during the year. Table 19, page 35, shows the age and sex
distribution of new cases and of deaths from all forms of the disease, and Table 20, page 35, sets out
the number of cases on the Tuberculosis Register at the beginning and end of the year with details
of the adjustments made in respect of new cases, transfers, deaths inwards and outwards and
removals due to cases cured and deceased.
Enquiries into housing and sanitary conditions involved 200 visits by one of the women public
health inspectors to all new cases and those moving into the Borough from other areas.
Mass Miniature Radiography.
During the year the Unit continued to work in the Borough from time to time, mainly by way of
closed surveys, and this included the Council's staff. With the exception of the Town Hall and Depot
employees, statistics relating exclusively to St. Marylebone are not available. Of 293 members of
the Council's staff examined, 3 were recalled for large films but it was necessary to refer only one of
them to the Chest Clinic for further observation. In "home surveys," the Unit gives the overall
incidence rate for active pulmonary tuberculosis as about 1.5 per 1,000, which is in keeping with
general experience in unselective miniature radiography, more cases being found in men than women.
With regard to policy, the officer in charge of the Unit states that "During 1958 no changes in
the policy of the Unit were made. In addition to routine visits to a certain number of large
establishments, numerous surveys were arranged to cover one-man, small and medium sized firms
situated in central London, which had been circularised within circumscribed areas by means of
Kelly's Post Office Directory. However, only 10 per cent. of small firms respond to circulars and,
on analysis, more cases of active tuberculosis are discovered in larger firms—even on repeat