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Cancer of the lung is almost certainly due to cigarette smoking but neither
smoker nor non-smoker seems to have any real incentive to discourage the practice
and so in the meantime the national incidence of lung cancer increases.
Children's teeth in England are said to be the worst since Saxon times although
medical research and experience in the United States for many years has shown the
value of adding fluoride to water supplies deficient in this trace element and the
fluoridation of public water supplies as a public health measure now has the support
of the British Dental Association and the British Medical Association.
There has been an increase in the number of deaths from suicide to 23 from the
previous year's total of 14, but the rate per 100 thousand of the population still
compares very favourably with that in neighbouring London boroughs such as Hampstead
Paddington and Holborn.
Mention of suicide draws attention to the problem of mental health. Some of
the most difficult environmental problems dealt with by the Department during the
last year were those where abnormal mental attitudes had blurred the perception
about the standards of behaviour that neighbours might be expected to tolerate. The
occurrence of a sanitary nuisance is sometimes the first visible consequence of a
deranged mind. The new Mental Health Act, 1959 means that more of those people who
find personal relationships difficult are being encouraged to live in a community
instead of in the mental hospitals and much help will be needed to encourage them to
adjust to their neighbours with the least possible disturbance to both parties.
Towards the end of the year Mr. A. H, Smi th retired from the office of Chief
Public Health Inspector after 44 years work in Hendon. In his different capacities
as Inspector of Nuisances, Sanitary Inspector and Senior Public Health Inspector, he
had studied public health problems which ranged from the early days of the now
forgotten privy midden to modern problems like radio activity. It is very difficult
to assess the value of the abstract nature of the work of the Public Health Inspector,
but few of us would doubt that his many years of loyal and conscientious service
played no unimportant part in raising the hygiene standards of Hendon to their
present level.
I have included an extract from the Report of the Hendon Old People's Housing
Society and the Report of the Chairman of the Borough of Hendon Old People's Welfare
Committee in my report.
I would like to thank the members of the Public Health Committee for their
support and encouragement, and also the members of the staff for their loyal and
conscientious service during the year.
I have the honour to be
Mr. Mayor Ladies and Gentlemen
Your obedient servant,
J. L PATTON,
Medical Officer of Health.
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