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In regard to infectious diseases, 1955 was again a quiet year,
apart from the number of measles cases recorded (635 as against
29 during 1954). This was, of course, due to the fact that 1955
was an epidemic year so far as measles was concerned. The infectious
diseases pattern will be dealt with in more detail in the
section of the Report which deals with this subject, but it can
once again be stated that the year was quiet, with an absence of
any outbreaks other than the prevalence of measles,to which reference
has already been made
During 1955, preparations were made to deal with two important
aspects of Public Health The first related to housing. As
the Council will be aware, the passing of the Housing Repairs and
Rents Act 1954 envisaged the survey of all houses in the district,
with a view to their classification. Although this more properly
comes into the Report for 1956, the survey was duly carried out
in 1955, in readiness for action to be taken this year.
The second point relates to food hygiene. The Pood & Drugs
(1955) Act came into force on 1st January 1956, although certain
regulations will not be effective until 1st July 1956. Here again,
much preparative work has had to be done, so that we can be in a
position to enforce the provisions of the new Act and the important
regulations accompanying the Act The work entailed under this
Act and its accompanying regulations has placed considerable
responsibility on the shoulders of the Sanitary Inspectors.
I duly reported the position to the Staff Committee and am
glad to be able to record that the Committee appreciated the position
to the full, generously acceding to my request that a further
Sanitary Inspector should be appointed to the Public Health
staff. This was done, the new Sanitary Inspector taking up his
duties on 27th October, 1955.
Although Wood Green is almost fully built up, there is much
in the district for which the inhabitants should be grateful and
of which they should feel extremely proud. It is quite obvious to
anyone who knows or even passes through Wood Green that maximum
use has been made of open spaces, the real lungs of any urban area.
Although Wood Green has its share of factories, it is still predominantly
a dormitory of the metropolis. Further- and this is
a really important point-it is a place to which city workers
can return with pleasure in the evening and in which they can enjoy
their weekend's leisure. As time passes, this aspect of public
health will become more and more apparent: For this reason, the
character and standard of the district must be jealously maintained,
so that the heritage at present enjoyed by Wood Green
citizens can be passed on, unimpaired or even improved,to future
generations.
It cannot be said that there is any particular health hazard
to which the citizens of Wood Green are subject. Pollution of the
atmosphere per se does not, so far as one can ascertain, exercise
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