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5
Public Health Department,
Council Offices,
Billet Lane,
HORNCHURCH,
20th May, 1958.
To the Chairman and Members of the
Hornchurch Urban District Council.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to present my Annual Report for 1957.
General District Development.
A certain slowing down, notably in the provision of new houses by
private enterprise, occurred during the year. This was however only
relative but in view of the increasing scarcity of building land must
progressively be significant.
Vital Statistics.
A slightly increased birth and reduced death rate with a very
pronounced fall in the infant mortality rate represent major satisfactory
trends.
Infectious Diseases.
Measles showed a large increase, whooping cough a substantial
decrease, whilst poliomyelitis with 17 cases vice 13 in 1956 also showed
a rise. The increase irr the latter disease was entirely reflected by nonparalytic
cases.
No more significant commentary on the changing picture of
epidemiology could be made than that one case of diphtheria was notified
during the year and that such a happening demands notice. The last
previous case was notified in 1949.
Your organisation for dealing with infectious disease is much like
an insurance policy relating to which few major claims are made but
which nevertheless is a necessary part of your Health Service.
Atmospheric Pollution.
Our investigation programme continued its activities and our equipment
for recording pollution was slightly augmented.
The question of smoke control areas was kept under review and
will in due course be followed by concrete proposals.
Smokeless air is a commodity which each householder can assist
in securing by using smokeless fuel. There are manifest difficulties in
the way, but legislation should merely assist and supplement efforts which
can be made by anyone at any time if the conviction and the will to
do so exists. The Clean Air Act does not and does not have to give
permission to use smokeless fuel—it merely paves the way for the
prohibition of smoke.