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more than the total increases, these figures have little significance
in themselves. More important, much more important, is the
fact that the type of infectious disease met with during 1961,
indeed since the war, is very much milder on the whole than
previously It is also worthy of note that no cases of poliomyelitis
were notified during the year, the last case of this
particular disease occurring in 1959. The infectious diseases
picture will be more fully discussed in the portion of the Annual
Report which deals with the prevalence and control of infectious
diseases. I will therefore make no further comments at this stage.
Year by year, I have stressed the importance of housing as
it affects the whole pattern of Public Health: or, to use what is
perhaps a better expression in this context, the pattern of
preventive medicine. I have often felt that, more than ever as
the years go by, pure public health and housing are inseparable.
Those authorities which have a "Health & Housing Committee",
where matters appertaining to housing as a major problem are dealt
with by the Health Committee, are in some respects adopting a wholly
logical attitude. As the Council will be aware a good deal of
the time of my Inspectors is taken up, not only in dealing with
housing queries, e. g. overcrowding, the need for Council housing
because of conditions detrimental to the health of one or more
members of the family, etc, but also with the abatement of nuisances,
most often by the issue of informal notices, and occasionally
but only when absolutely necessary - by having to resort to the
issuing of statutory notices followed by Court procedure. The
Public Health Department considers this to be an integral part of
its duty, since problems associated with housing are at the root
of so many social evils.
It is extremely pleasing to see the work which is being carried
out in Wood Green in relation to the erection of new houses and
flatlets, especially when this accommodation is being made available
for tenants displaced from slum clearance areas. This problem is
being vigorously tackled and has already appreciably shrunk in
proportion.
It is truly pleasant to be able to report that Wood Green
has taken energetic steps to deal with housing for the elderly,
a problem which grows in intensity year by year. This age group
of the population has been neglected for too long. Still more
work is required, but it is obvious that Wood Green appreciates
the situation-indeed, with a rapidly ageing population such as
ours it must do-and means to do what it can to effect amelioration.
I cannot let this opportunity pass without reminding the
Council that the work which has fallen to the lot of Public Health
Inspectors is increasing with a rhythm which is sometimes frightening.
Smoke Control-and a great deal of work has been done in
this field in Wood Green-food inspections housing itself, have
all either been presented as new problems, or as problems which
have been considerably magnified. I count myself extremely
fortunate that I have an excellent team of Health Inspectors in
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