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3
ANNUAL REPORT
of the
MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH, 1961.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough of Enfield.
I have pleasure in presenting my Annual Report for 1961.
Steady progress continues to be made in improving environmental
conditions which affect our health and well-being.
The prevention and control of infectious disease must still be
considered to be one of the most important aspects of the work of
the Health Department, although medical and other influences have,
over the years, tended considerably to change the emphasis of our
efforts and methods.
During the year, measles was the most prevalent infection and
faithfully followed its expected course. With the advances being
made in work on viruses, perhaps we may expect in due course, an
effective vaccine against this disease.
The number of cases of pneumonia showed a considerable
increase, possibly due to climatic conditions affecting the elderly.
Whooping Cough and most of the other notifiable diseases
were of very low incidence.
There were only four cases of Sonne dysentery notified. This
is unusually low for this type of infection, but it is a condition likely
to vary considerably in its incidence as it is so easily influenced
by careless personal hygiene.
Although the number of cases of tuberculosis was somewhat
higher than the previous year's low figure, the number of deaths
was only two from the respiratory form and one from other forms,
a total of three which is the lowest ever recorded.
With this figure of two deaths from respiratory tuberculosis
one must compare the forty-three from cancer of the lung and