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has been no death in the Borough from this cause for four
years. The year, also, saw an increased incidence of acute
poliomyelitis, 8 paralytic and 3 non-paralytic cases being
notified in the Borough. There were no deaths. At the time
of writing, vaccination against this disease has, recently,
commenced under arrangements made by the Local Health
Authority and it is hoped that the development of this
technique will bring this disease under some measure of control.
During the year, 82 new cases of tuberculosis were notified
compared with 89 in 1954 and 91 in 1953. The number of
deaths from this disease increased to 13 compared with 5 in
1954 and 9 in 1953. For the seventh year in succession no
case of diphtheria occurred in the Borough. A warning that
diphtheria could return as a killing disease is contained in
the fact that in certain parts of the country outbreaks of
diphtheria have occurred, recently, resulting in the death of
a number of children. Parents should take heed of this and
should not fail to have their children immunised as the
continued freedom from this disease depends on the maintenance
of a high level of immunisation among the child
population.
Standards of food hygiene, while greatly improved in
recent years, still leave much to be desired in many cases.
The protection of food exposed for sale from dust and flies
and from the hazards inherent in its preparation and
handling will call for increased efforts by the Health Department,
as well as the food traders; and housewives, too, have
a two-fold duty, firstly, to insist on adequate standards of
cleanliness in food shops and in their own homes and, also,
to exercise forebearance in the unnecessary handling of food
in shops prior to purchase. The new Food Hygiene Regulations
strengthen the hand of the Local Authorities but their
successful operation will demand a staff of sanitary inspectors
adequate to the task. The present shortage of these officers
is, therefore, a very serious problem.
Cleanliness depends, ultimately, on an attitude of mind
and the development of a sense of social responsibility and
one of the results of the failure to develop the latter is the
widespread litter in our streets, parks and open spaces. It
may be considered that this is not primarily a health matter
but its implications in regard to hygiene in general, and the
mental distress which it causes to large numbers of people
in the Borough, justifies a reference to it in an annual report.
Adults are the worst offenders and it is not surprising, therefore,
that children should follow their example. There is no
doubt that much more could be done in the home and in
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