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Air Act of 1956 has enabled us to make progress in this matter, and
next year we hope that a large zone in the southern part of the
Borough will become a smoke control area, and eventually by 1971
the whole Borough will be breathing cleaner air. The pressing forward
of smoke control areas has brought to the fore the vexed question
of garden bonfires. Legislation is vague and indefinite in regard to
bonfires, nor do I feel that at this stage one can legislate wisely for the
problem. The answer, in my opinion, lies in a good neighbour policy,
i.e. keeping down bonfires to a minimum, informing neighbours when
one is about to have a fire, selection of a day when air movement is
high and wind direction suitable.
COMMUNICABLE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE :
1960 proved a mild year in regard to infectious disease, although
school returns indicated sharp outbreaks of chicken pox and mumps
in the latter part of the year. I am pleased to report that there were
no cases of poliomyelitis notified in 1960, as against 5 in 1959.
Diphtheria was again absent from the Borough, although small outbreaks
occurred in the schools of nearby London Boroughs, an indica
tion, I trust, to the parents in Finchley of the necessity of having their
children immunised, particularly before entry to the school community.
Eight cases of food poisoning were notified as against 15 in 1959,
and one case of paratyphoid, compared to 4 in 1959. Eight persons
died as a result of tuberculosis but none of these deaths occurred in
persons under the age of 25 years, 6 of the deaths in fact being over
the age of 45—an indication of the advances made by the Chest
Physicians in recent years in the control of this once very prevalent
disease. There were no cases of smallpox, although scares occurred
as a result of suspected persons coming from abroad. There was a
marked increase in the number of cases of sonne dysentery from 12 in
1959 to 45 this year. Fortunately the disease was mild and confined
to family groups and did not appear to spread into the schools or
nurseries, where considerable inconvenience and disorganisation can
result. Details concerning the above illnesses can be read under the
appropriate heading in the body of the report.
GENERAL:
In my reports over the past 2 years I have commented upon the
increasing numbers of elderly in the community and have drawn
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