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assessment of certain special housing defects such as " condensation "
dampness and insulation against noise.
Details are given later in the report by the Chief Public Health
Inspector of examples of food privately purchased and containing
a miscellany of objects. These have been reported collectively in detail
for the first time, as the Public Health Committee are concerned at
the increase in these complaints. The present self-service method of
shopping requires greater care by the retailer in observing that food
is not kept too long in stock by being overlooked by assistants when
at the bottom of stacked food. Chocolate rolls and other wrapped
food may under these conditions become mouldy underneath the
paper coverings. The report also shews that the Committee consider
each complaint on its merits. Trader, consumer and legislator are
fairly consulted before prosecution is undertaken, but clearly it would
appear that some cases have few extenuating circumstances.
The Committee at their October meeting, heard an interesting
report from Mr. H. E. Monk, County Analyst, and Public Analyst
for Beckenham since April, 1946, on the work of analysing samples
of food and drugs. He referred to the considerations which he felt
should be taken into account before deciding to take prosecutions,
the value of sampling foods for which there is no prescribed standard
and the relationship between price and quality. He reported that six
and a half million pounds per annum is spent onfood in Beckenham.
Infectious Diseases Control
In this section, a Table shews a decrease in cases of Poliomyelitis
in persons under the age of 15 years over the past 8 years, but there
is an increase in cases above this age over the same period. The increase
is almost entirely in persons between 26 years and 45 years of age.
In 1958, the number of persons given two injections of poliomyelitis
vaccine, increased from 2,709 to 7,307. In addition a further 1,643
persons received a third injection in accordance with the extension
of the scheme of vaccination against Poliomyelitis announced by the
Ministry of Health, in Circular 20/58. The scheme was also extended
to offer vaccination to all persons (over the age of 6 months) born
since 1st January, 1933. It is not yet possible to include in this year's
Report, accurate returns of this additional group of 15 to 26 years
old persons many of whom have been immunised at Clinics near
their place of work, some at evening Clinics near their homes and
many by their own family doctors.
There has been a decrease of 143 in the number of primary
Smallpox vaccinations, and of 35 in the number of revaccinations.
The greater decrease has occurred in Clinic vaccinations—94 as
compared with a decrease of 49 in private vaccinations. It is possible
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