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ANNUAL
REPORT
OF THE
MEDICAL 0FFICER OF HEALTH
FOR THE YEAR 1940
Mr. Mayer, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my Eleventh Annual Report,
which in accordance with the instructions of the Ministry oF Health
is an interim report and deals only with matters which can be regarded
as new or likely to affect the public health. No effort has therefore
been made to review in detail the various social services, although I
am happy to state that these are functioning to full capacity,
GENERAL HEALTH CONDITIONS.
Excepting for casualties consequent upon enemy action, no effect
was seen in the first complete year of war on the health condition of
the population which could reasonably be attributed to war conditions.
The incidence of the tain infectious diseases remained low,
particularly in the case of Diphtheria, of which only 70 oases were
notified compared with 150 in the previous year.
On the ether hand, Cerebrospinal Fever, a disease which becomes
more prevalent under war conditions, showed an increase, 16 cases being
notified as against 5 in 1939.
Conditions as regards essential food supplies continued to be
satisfactory, rationing was not severe and there was no scarcity of
unrationed foodstuffs, the only restriction in obtaining foods being
economio as there had been a steady increase in prices.
The Council continued the policy of providing accessory foods at
the Health Centres and revised its economic scale in conformity with the
increased cost of living, for the free provision of additional nourishment
and for the reduction and remission of the fees for the various
services. In the latter part of the year the Education Committee
approved a scheme for the provision of solid meals to children recommended
by the Medical Officer of Health.