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1957. 1953. 1959.
Clerical 3 1
Housewives 3 - 2
Children 2 2
Professional Classes 2 -
Factory Workers 15 1
Manual Workers 11 1
Shop Assistants -
Food Trades -
Nurses -
Unclassified 4 2
I have already mentioned the fact that
tuberculosis notifications have shown a steady drop over
the past few years. This is highly satisfactory,
although it must be admitted that the figures involved
are too small to carry any great significance.
Our scheme for the B.C.G, vaccination of
Friern Barnet school children continues, and is working
very well. As I explained in my Annual Report for
1958, of course, this work is undertaken by the School
Health Service.
Mass X-ray Unit 5B did not visit Friern Barnet
during 1959. As Friern Barnet cannot be said to be
a district in which tuberculosis presents a very serious
problem, it is doubtful whether we can expect a visit from
the Mass Radiography Unit more than once every three
years. We therefore hope that arrangements can be
made for the Unit to visit Friern Barnet during 1961.
Satisfactory as the infectious diseases
picture is, not only in Friern Barnet but throughout
the country as a whole, few Medical Officers of Health are
entirely happy on the question of notification.
Notifications is, and must remain an essential part of
our defence mechanism against the spread of infectious
diseases. But times change, and infectious diseases
with them. Recommendations have been made by the
Public Health Committee of the British Medical Association
and by the Society of Medical Officers of Health,
relating to suggested changes in the general pattern of
notification design to bring our procedure into line with
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