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SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES :
While it is not possible to draw up a balance sheet to show in
financial terms the contribution of the work of this Department to the
health of the community, the extent of this work is fully recorded
in this report. Many studies have been carried out on diseases but
relatively few have delved into the relationship between death and the
social and economic condition of the individual and the general community.
Let us take infant deaths. In Finchley in 1900, 111 infants
per thousand born, died in the first year of life—in 1959 only 20
per thousand died. While medicine can claim a considerable amount
of credit for this saving of infant life, there are many other factors
involved; amongst them the standard of child and family care,
general and health education, personal and environmental hygiene and
good housing. It is generally understood that infantile mortality rates
are highly sensitive to conditions of living, and it is hoped that this
Department's efforts have played some part in making Finchley a
safe place in which to be born. It is often said that ratepayers do
not really know what their rate contributions are used for, but it
should be understood that the Council, through all of its Departments,
plays a vital part in keeping the community well served by the provision
of good housing and open spaces, slum clearance, the inspection
of food and food shops, the control of infectious diseases, and latterly
an effort to provide clean air under the Clean Air Act of 1956.
Apropos of housing, it is a pleasure to record the efforts that the vast
majority of residents make to improve their homes. Even in our
slum clearance areas one has been pleasantly surprised by the contrast
between the interior and exterior of these homes. The inhabitants of
our Borough to-day are deserving of good houses which they will
undoubtedly turn into most pleasing homes.
COMMUNICABLE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE:
On the whole 1959 was a mild year in regard to infectious
disease. In January there was a sharp outbreak of influenza which
was of short duration. Measles became epidemic during April and
May, but there were no deaths relating directly to these infections.
There were no cases of diphtheria, typhoid or smallpox. Four cases
of paratyphoid were notified. Investigations showed that three of
these infections originated abroad (see page 25 for further details).
Five cases of poliomyelitis were notified. Of these, 2 were nonparalytic
and 3 paralytic. Of the 3 latter cases, 2 showed only minor
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