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The Urban District Council of Acton.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER
FOR THE YEAR 1896.
To the Chairman & Members of the Acton District Council
Gentlemen,
I have the pleasure of submitting to you the various facts
connected with the sanitary history of Acton during the past year.
The Population has increased, the number of births being
the highest ever recorded in this district. The death rate, by no
means high, would have been considerably lower but for the
epidemics of Measles and Whooping Cough, which were very
prevalent throughout England during the Spring. You will notice
that in this report I have fully alluded to the causes of the high
death rate of these two diseases, and what steps I purpose taking
with a view to checking the same.
As the weather is one of the most potent factors in
determining the health of a community, I may briefly note that we
enjoyed a very mild, open winter, followed by a dry and warm
Spring and Summer, while the Autumn proved rather wet on the
whole, with a considerable decrease of temperature ; but neither in
the opening nor in the closing months was there cold of sufficient
intensity and duration to prejudicially affect the health of anyone
other than the frailest of invalids.