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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 1950.
The form which this year's Annual Report has to take is
virtually the same as that for 1949. Thus, information relating to
vital statistics affecting the Borough are contained in the body of
the Report, and are referred to in an uncritical manner. Although
the personal health services are not the direct concern of the
Borough Council, it would be quite impossible to present a composite
picture of the health of the district without including this
information and linking it up with environmental hygiene.
In point of fact, the vital statistics for 1950 were satisfactory,
and would seem to indicate that the health of the community has
been maintained at what could be described as a reasonable level.
The position in regard to infectious diseases was also satisfactory,
apart from the fact that gastro-intestinal infections were
more prevalent in Southgate than has been the case for many years.
These matters will be referred to in greater detail in the body
of the Report.
Although the health of the district, as evidenced by the relevant
vital statistics and by the returns relating to infectious disease,
gives no cause for alarm, we cannot blind ourselves to the fact
that conditions do exist which are prejudicial to health. The
degree of overcrowding known to be present in the Borough,
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