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6
"If there's a hole in a' your coats
I rede ye tent it;
A chiel's amang ye taking notes
And, faith, he'll prent it."—Robert Bums.
To the Chairman and Members of the
EDMONTON URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL.
Gentlemen,
I have the pleasure of presenting you with my eighth Annual Report of
the health and sanitary circumstances of Edmonton. It refers to the year 1913,
The following changes have taken place on my staff:—
Mr. A. E. Day, the 3rd (Housing) Inspector left on March 12th and Mr.
H. K. Nixon was appointed as 4th (Housing) Inspector on the nth February
and began duty on the 17th March. Harold Dyer was promoted to the new
post of School Medical Clerk on nth February and commenced duty on 1st
March. John Slee replaced him as Junior Clerk on March 10th to June 28th, to be
followed by the appointment of John Farrar on 7th July. Mr. J. E. Winter
was appointed to succeed Mr. Day as joint inspector, under the Shops Act,
1912. Mr. W. O. Coates obtained his certificate as food and meats inspector
in December.
The duties of your Public Health Department and your Medical Officer of
Health are still on the increase. This is partly due to the activities of
Parliament and the Government Departments, but also to the increase of the
gross population of Edmonton from 56,578 in 1905 to 68,387 at the middle of
1913, which is a difference of 11,809 persons.
The Local Government Board has a high opinion of the Annual Report
of the Medical Officer of Health. It is as follows:—"The annual report may
be made a valuable means of educating the public in matters of public health,
of warning them against particular dangers and of securing co-operation
between them and the sanitary authority and their officers. Much value also
attache? to the exchange of annual reports between medical officers of health
in order that experiences may be compared. These advantages can only be
secured by having the report printed and distributed to each member of the
sanitary authority and to other persons interested in its subject."
I accept this annual opportunity of recording my high appreciation of the
good work done for Edmonton by the Inspectors and other members of my
staff (indoor and outdoor). They have done their utmost to uphold the
reputation of the Department and to maintain and improve the health of the
public.
The cordial co-operation of my colleagues, the Heads of the other Departments,
and the courtesy of all the Council's Officials are in the grateful
remembrance of
Your obedient Servant,
SIDNEY C. LAWRENCE,
June 30th, 1914. Medical Officer of Health.