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only arisen in recent years, namely the wrongful use of thin polythene
film. This very excellent material can cause suffocation if
misused by the very young, from whom it should always be kept,
even to the extent of burning after use if it cannot be stored safely
away from the reach of young hands.
This is a very obvious case of how carelessness can lead to
tragedy, and in a similar way thoughtless handling of food can be
responsible for outbreaks of food poisoning and the passing on of
serious intestinal infections. Every effort is made by the Department
to teach food handlers to treat their job as the important one
that it undoubtedly is, but one wonders sometimes whether the
ordinary domestic standards of hygiene are not, in too many
instances, such as to expose the household to quite unnecessary
risks.
One is disturbed to see that we lost nine of our population by
suicide, and this automatically makes one's thoughts turn to the
Mental Health Act. This is undoubtedly a very progressive
measure, but the full effect of it will it is hoped, be seen in the future
when the tendency will be more and more to treat cases within the
community rather than in hospital, which will merely be used in
certain stages in the treatment when such is necessary.
Statistically a year must be considered satisfactory when the
birth rate is above the national average, and the death rate and
infant mortality rates are below that average. The year was one
with a low incidence of infectious disease, and there were no major
incidents in this field.
Orpington is indeed fortunate in its voluntary services which
supplement so extensively the statutory services provided by the
local authorities, but with the number of elderly people in the community
always on the increase, more and not less help from all
possible sources is likely to be the need for the future.
One of the problems relative to the world in which we live is
that of noise, and I am not referring to any particular sound, but the
generally noisy atmosphere with which we are surrounded. This
is a very thorny problem, and one which at the moment seems very
difficult to solve, particularly as the younger generation seems to
find great pleasure in loud sounds, which although music in their
ears, would not be so described by the "squarer" members of the
community.
It would be wrong not to mention the report of the Royal
Commission set up to study the local government of the Greater
London Area. The recommendations made would have the effect
of transferring to a health committee composed of Members of
this Council plus Members from an adjoining authority, most of
the functions now exercised by a local health authority. At the
time of writing, the Government has not revealed its intentions with