View report page

To the
MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS
of the
BOROUGH OF SOUTHGATE
Mr- Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to present the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of
Health for the year 1946.
As I was not released from service with the Forces until April,
Dr. M. Manson, Acting Medical Officer of Health during my
absence from the Borough, was responsible for the work carried out
during the first quarter of the year.
The Report for 1946 follows the general pattern of the last few
years, with minor amendments to bring the Report into conformity
with the standard required by the Ministry of Health. Opportunity
has, however, been taken to discuss various aspects of the health
situation. The very fact that conditions can by no stretch of
imagination be described as having returned to normal, leaves us
with problems which call for early consideration. This fact,
coupled with the changes envisaged by the National Health Service
Act, and the re-grouping of staff which will come about when we
take over the School Health Service, justifies an up-to-date survey
of our present and future needs. It is for this reason that the comments
referred to above have been interpolated in the body of the
present Report.
Viewing 1946 from the broad aspects of health, morbidity and
mortality, the year can be considered satisfactory. In at least one
field of preventive medicine, it has been outstanding. The birth
rate has risen slightly, although it is doubtful whether one should
consider this satisfactory in the light of the present housing
situation. The death rate has not materially altered, but the
figure is in no way unusual when the tendency towards a middle-aged
3