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9
PREFATORY LETTER.
To The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors.
Mr. Mayor, Mesdames and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my 22nd Annual Report on the
Health Services of the Borough of Bromley for the year 1946,
and 1 do so at a time when the country as a whole, and Bromley
as a part, is suffering the consequences of many restrictions and
the atter-strain of six years of war.
The year 1946 again showed that the Bromley housewife
who withstood the war years with such courage and stamina
has had further problems added to her burdens. What effect
will this have upon the health of the nation in the years ahead?
The housing problem, which remains a vital problem in the
rearing of a family, and queueing in quest of food and coal, and
the shortage of clothing, cannot continue without danger of loss
of health and faith. 11 the mother fails the family fails also,
and with it the social security of the nation. But courage
remains and no word of mine can express adequately the
admiration we must all feel for the housewife.
So far as the Health Department is concerned, more than
ever have we endeavoured to give priority to preventive
medicine over the practice of medicine, and to be a help to the
Public in relieving some of the many problems with which they
are in daily contact.
As it would appear in the contemplated changes in Local
Government, that the control of medical services will pass to
the County Council in the near future, I am submitting as an
Appendix a serious of charts, showing the effect of the services
mostly since I was appointed as your Medical Officer of Health.
The charts are:—
1. Birth Rate. 9. Infantile Death Rate in ages
2. Death Rate. under 1 week, 1 week to 4
3. Zymotic Death Rate. weeks and 4 weeks to 1 year.
4. Influenza Death Rate. 10. Age Groups of Infant Death
5. Death Rate Diarrhoea (under since 1926.
two years of age). 11. Infectious Disease Incidence
6. Maternal Death Rate. Rate (Scarlet Fever,' Diphtheria
7. Stillbirth Rate. and Tuberculosis).
8. Infantile Death Rate.
A study of the charts will show where we have succeeded
and where we have failed, and will indicate the field in which
intensive work of prevention is still needed. Taking for
example chart 9, the increase of death in babies under one week