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3
ANNUAL REPORT
of the
MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH, 1959.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough of Enfield.
I have pleasure in presenting my Annual Report for 1959.
With the exception of the inauguration of the first Smoke
Control Area, referred to in more detail in another part of this
report, no event of major Public Health interest occurred in the
Borough during the year. The main work of the Department
continued in its characteristically unspectacular manner and much
success was achieved in improving conditions generally for the
benefit of the health of the district and preventing the occurrence
of any serious detrimental incident. Indeed we are always grateful
when the Health Department avoids "hitting the headlines" as
such an occurrence can mean the failure to some extent of our
preventive measures, however blameless we may be.
In the realm of Health Propaganda, we once again provided
an exhibition at the Enfield Show, this year in conjunction with
other Departments of the Council, as a continuation or extension
of a Civic Exhibition held earlier in the year at Forty Hall. Again
we were glad to find an encouraging degree of interest shown by
the public as this form of Health Propaganda involves a considerable
amount of time and effort additional to our normal activities.
The summer was distinguished by the long spell of good weather
which we all enjoyed and from which we must have benefitted.
It would appear that consequently greater use of the excellent local
facilities for healthy open air activities, which by coincidence I
stressed last year, was encouraged, and proved beneficial in spite
of the troubles caused by the very large numbers of wasps-nests
with which we endeavoured to deal to the best of our ability and
capacity, although such an activity is not strictly considered to be
a Public Health activity.
Now that some progress has been made in regard to clearing
our environment of smoke contamination, attention is being focussed