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of Mr. Burkill as Deputy Chief Public Health Inspector is a welldeserved
honour and regularises a position which, as I have already
stated, has been in unofficial being for many years.
The closest liaison is maintained between the Public Health
Department and the Area Health Office, which is very fortunately
situated in the Southgate Town Hall. After ten years of acting as
Medical Officer of Health for Southgate and the Area Medical
Officer for Health Area No. 2 County of Middlesex, it is more
than ever obvious that the close and harmonious liaison which
exists between these two departments, both of them engaged in
the work of preventive medicine, has at least done something to
obviate the difficulties which arose following the splitting up of
the health functions between the local health authority and the
local authority. It is indeed fortunate that our relations with the
County Council in the field of Public Health are close and
harmonious, and even that many members of the Area Health Staff
have worked in Southgate for very many years and are therefore
familiar with the conditions which exist, both from the standpoint
of environmental health and personal health. Although this may
not seem a very important point, I am convinced that it is none
the less significant.
It cannot be emphasised too often or too strongly that, unless
and until the personal health services return to the control of the
local authority, in this case Southgate Borough Council, the closest
liaison should be maintained between the local authority and the
local health authority. Happily, as indicated above, the relationship
in Southgate could scarcely be improved. The Borough Council
might be the authority directly concerned with the personal health
services, but it is none the less vitally interested in all matters
which affect the health, not only of the community but of the
individuals making up the community. For this reason, I have
always tried to keep the Public Health Committee fully informed
of all the steps, e.g., inoculation against poliomyelitis, being taken
in Southgate to provide an efficient and comprehensive personal
health service.
There is one other matter which I would particularly mention.
During the years which have passed since 1948, when the new
regime came into being, it has become increasingly obvious that
the fact of my being Area Medical Officer for Area No. 2 in
addition to Medical Officer of Health for the Borough has been
of the greatest possible value. In this way, I am able to correlate
the personal and communal health services, to integrate the work
of the Public Health Department with the work of the Area
Health Office ; in a word to view the whole field of preventive
medicine as it affects Southgate. I am very happy to think that
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