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5
tuberculous families has, in many cases, received the attention
of the Council although there is a great task still ahead. It
will be noticed that, although the deaths from Tuberculosis
have decreased from 36 in 1948 to 9 in 1949 the number of
notified cases increased during the year to 87 as compared with
79 in 1948. There is nothing here to give any cause whatever
for complacency.
During the year, the Department was called upon to investigate
the living conditions of many old people who, besides
being, in many cases, incapacitated, were living alone and dependent
to a considerable degree on any help they could obtain
from good neighbours and friends. It has been found that
many of these old people required admission to hospital and
this has proved to be a matter of considerable difficulty in
view of the lack of beds or, more accurately, of nursing staff.
I would like to place on record, however, the co-operation
which we have obtained from the Woolwich Hospital Management
Committee who have considered each case on its merits
and have given every assistance under circumstances of great
difficulty.
Attention is drawn to the Senior Sanitary Inspector's
report on page 32 relating to effluvia from the River Thames,
which have been a cause of discomfort to people in many parts
of the Borough. The remedy is, unfortunately, a long term
one and until radical action is taken by the London County
Council to improve the sewage effluents from the Barking and
Crossness outfalls a recurrence of this nuisance may be
expected, especially if the summer temperature should be high
and the up-river flow reduced as a result of low rainfall.
Although there were no deaths in the Borough from notifiable
infectious disease during the year under review, it is
necessary to exercise constant care in regard to cases of dysentery
and the diarrhoeal diseases in general and the episode of
the S.S. Mooltan has served to show that smallpox may still
rear its head in our midst and requires constant vigilance in
regard to contacts arriving by sea or by air. The tendency
of Poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis) in recent years to adopt
epidemic form is a distressing feature that also creates many
additional Public Health problems.
Health Education is one of the main functions of the Health
Department and attention is drawn to the comprehensive
Clean Food Exhibition which was held in April 1949. Plans
have now been made for a Joint Clean Food Campaign in
conjunction with the Borough of Bexley and the Urban District