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ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE
It might be said that no feature of public health work is more consistent
than its broadening of outlook and emphasis. There is a tendency, owing to
specialisation to forget our main objective, i.e. the highest standard of
individual and national health and how to achieve it.
Social life in large communities is only made possible by the control
of environmental conditions.
Organised public health had its origin in that fact, and began with the
removal of evil conditions of living then prevailing.
Environmental hygiene today connotes not only housing, water supply,
sewage disposal and nuisances, but the individual's work, his food, his
leisure and his relations with his neighbours. All in fact that enables the
individual to live the good life.
The acute shortage of sanitary inspectors available in the country has
resulted in changes among the staff and always a deficiency on the establishment.
The number of complaints received from residents in the Borough
during the year was 1,830. This is a decrease when compared with a total
of 1,996 for the year 1950. Your sanitary inspectors investigate every complaint
lodged immediately.
The following table shows the number of inspections made which
resulted in the service of 2,709 preliminary notices and 446 statutory notices
where the work required was not completed after the first intimation.
In 77 instances the work remained uncompleted at the end of the year
HEALTH EXHIBITION
The high light of the year took place in April in the form of a Health
Exhibition staged on quite an elaborate scale at the Baths Hall in association
with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Infestation Control Division)
The following subjects were demonstrated by means of models, quiescent
and in motion, photographs and drawings and machinery brought to the
Exhibition Hall:—Environmental Hygiene, Housing, Public Cleansing
Local Health Services, Domestic Heating, Clean Milk, Mass Radiography
Ice-cream Production; Hygiene in Food Service; Hygienic and Construction
Toys, Rodent Control and Household Pests.
We were assisted in our Atmospheric Pollution display with exhibits
from the Gas and Electricity industries, the Fuel Research Station and
National Smoke Abatement Society.
The Exhibition which received the support of over 6,000 people was of
great educational value whilst effectively publicising the Council's health
services.
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