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Up to 31st March, 1926, the 9 vehicles had covered a total of 723,897 miles.
The 7 vehicles, which are now over 12 years old, are breaking down more frequently, and it
is desirable that they should be gradually replaced.
During the year the work of the Ambulance Service has included the conveyance of approximately
130 defective children daily to the Special Schools in Willesden and Swiss Cottage Blind School,
and the conveyance of 2,597 patients to Hospitals and Nursing Homes and the disinfection of 843
houses.
It is satisfactory to record that all this work has been carried through without accident.
PROVISION OF MEALS.
78,156 meals have been supplied at the Committee's centres as compared with 75,197 in the
previous year.
The arrangement with the Willesden Board of Guardians by which 1/- per head per week or
part of a week is paid for each child fed on their recommendation at the Feeding Centres of the Education
Committee continues in force.
Breakfasts are served to the children of parents who are unusually poor. These breakfasts
consists of cocoa, made with dried milk, sugar, and bread and margarine. 5,217 breakfasts were
supplied during the year, all in the South Kilburn area.
MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL.
During the year 601 patients were admitted to the Municipal Hospital, 203 of whom were suffering
from Scarlet Fever, 259 from Diphtheria, 57 from Tonsilitis which proved to be simple and not
Scarlet Fever or Diphtheria, and 82 from other diseases.
Amongst the 82 other diseases were 9 cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum, 1 case of Puerperal
Fever, 1 case of Endometritis, 16 cases of Whooping Cough, 8 cases of Measles and 3 cases of infectious
diseases of the Central Nervous System.
SPECIAL REPORTS AND ARTICLES.
There are three special reports and articles appearing as Appendices M., N. and O., to which
I would specially direct attention.
Artificial Light Treatment.—Appendix M. is the report of Dr. Haldin-Davis, the Dermatologist
to the Council, on Artificial Light Treatment, which began on the 16th November, 1925.
His report is written in the form required by the Ministry of Health, and indicates the value of this
type of treatment and the striking results obtained in certain cases.
Health Visiting.—Appendix N. deals with Health Visiting and is written by Dr. Bessie
MacKenzie. It sets out very clearly the work which a Health Visitor has to do and her objectives.
It indicates that in respect of the reduction of Infant Mortality from 130 deaths of children under 1
year of age per thousand births in 1902, the year before there were any Health Visitors at work in
Willesden, to 62 deaths per thousand births last year, and in respect of the reduction of unclean
children in the Public Elementary Schools from 20 per cent. in 1914 to 6 per cent. in 1925, that some
of these objectives are being obtained. Dr. MacKenzie's article is informative and should make for
the better understanding of a Health Visitor's duties.
Cancer.—The other special article is on Cancer and is written by Dr. W. D. Champneys. It
appears as Appendix O. to this report. This article is very important and shows how Cancer has
increased in Willesden. In 1911 the deaths in Willesden from Cancer were 115 out of a total of 1,848
deaths from all causes in a population of 154,000, or 675 deaths from Cancer per million of the population,
but in 1925 there were 241 deaths from Cancer out of a total of 1,686 deaths from all causes in
a population of 172,000 or 1,402 deaths from Cancer per million of the population. It will therefore
be seen that in the course of 14 years the death rate from Cancer has more than doubled in Willesden,
and that in 1925 1 out of every 7 deaths was caused by Cancer.
It is true that the cause of Cancer has not been finally established, but there are certain facts
concerning the disease which are well-known and enable action to be taken to stop or diminish the
ravages of this disease. Dr. Champneys has carefully reviewed the Cancer problem in the light of
the experiences of many countries and sets out in outline a scheme for the control of Cancer which is
worthy of the closest and most earnest consideration in the interests of the Public Health.
VISIT OF FOREIGN MEDICAL OFFICERS.
Early in 1925 Willesden had the honour of being selected as an area in England and Wales for
the demonstration of English Public Health to five Medical Officers representing Canada, Esthonia,
France, Italy and Russia. These visitors from abroad spent a period of three weeks in Willesden
during which time facilities were afforded them for achieving the object of their visit. All of them
expressed their high appreciation of the methods in operation and their hope that they would be
able to make use of the experience they gained here in their home countries.
A visit of this kind is very helpful to the department. The entire organisation was reviewed
and demonstrated to our foreign visitors, and this survey of our own work was exceedingly useful,
as it brought the officers of the department up to concert pitch so that they might show the foreign