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and the services of Dr. Ivan Gordon MacIntyre have been obtained. It is
too early yet to estimate the increase in benefit of this additional Officer.
Also an additional Sanitary Inspector, together with two Clerks, were
appointed during the year in order to cope with the increased work of the
Public Health Department, and the efficiency of the persons concerned has
fully justified their appointment.
The co-ordination of work in the various departments is now
proceeding satisfactorily, and the benefits derived are beginning to become
apparent; no longer does the Health Visitor work independently of the
Sanitary Inspector, nor the Maternity and Child Welfare Department of
the School Medical Department.
It will take some time, however, before the officers concerned will
settle down to the automatic accomplishment of such duties. The work
of the various clinics is being speeded up in order to facilitate the mothers'
return to their domestic duties as quickly as possible. This is bearing good
fruit, because the numbers attending the clinics are showing steady
increase.
During the year the provisions of the Housing Act, 1935, were applied
to the district and the Overcrow cling Survey of the whole district was put
into operation. A Temporary Sanitary Inspector, a clerk and six
enumerators were employed to carry out this duty. From this it was
discovered that there are 401 cases of overcrowding in Edmonton and the
percentage for the district is 1.69, which, in my opinion, is very pleasing
and satisfactory; the Ward with the highest percentage is Angel Road, the
figure being 3.33. Although Edmonton as a whole is relatively free from
overcrowding, the standard of houses in some parts of the area is old, the
brickwork and woodwork in many instances show signs of wear and tear,
and the sanitary accommodation although not defective is not ideal, and
in a large number of houses there is not sufficient accommodation for
cleansing of the person and clothing; these requirements some years ago
were not looked upon as entirely essential, but with a better outlook on
life offered to the greater number of the population these requirements are
no longer looked upon as a luxury, consequently serious consideration will
have to be given to some of these areas within the near future.
With the exception of measles we were happily relatively free from
infectious diseases during the year. Measles seemed to have made up for
the lack of this, at one time the incidence in the schools was very high and
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