View report page

3.
Shoreditch have been 50, 47, 46, 64, 44, and now this year a record of 73.
Certain research indicates rather strongly that the eating of extra fat has some
bearing on the matter, and I quite believe that more Shoreditch people now have eggs or
bacon for breakfast, fat beef or pork for dinner, and quantities of butter to
eat than was the case when wages were lower than at present, and that this
simple fact has probably some bearing on the matter. If they reverted to their
extra vegetables and even bread, and in addition took more fruit and salads, I
am sure this figure (and perhaps even their own) would improve:
Notifications of infectious disease were remarkably similar to last year's
with the exception of an increase in whooping cough from 32 to 151 (this could be
improved by the greater use of immunisation against this disease also).
Unfortunately we were involved in an outbreak of paratyphoid fever in a neighbouring
borough where the baker concerned did not use a separate mixing machine
for his artificial cream. We were fortunate in that only 17 oases occurred, with
no deaths, but this was a means by which we were able to impress on Shoreditch
bakers the importance of this precaution-and will, we hope, be the means of
preventing further outbreaks from this cause. Poliomyelitis showed an increase
on the 2 of 1954, with 7 paralytic and 4 non-paralytic patients (only two had
lasting trouble, one being still in hospital and walking with calipers, and the
other unfortunately dying in February 1956, the others having completely
recovered with no paralysis remaining). However, we sincerely hope that all
parents will take advantage of the protection offered by the Ministry's new
vaccine which has now proved itself to be quite safe and should be a great help.
There was a successful mass miniature radiography survey of 2,193 workers in the
Borough (reported on page 19), which discovered 5 new active tuberculosis
patients, and 2 with cancer of the lung. Our Tuberculosis Care Committee made
good progress (page 20) and did most useful work.
I will not dilate on our Social Welfare work here, except to acknowledge our
great indebtedness to King Edward's Hospital Fund with whose aid an extension
with six new ground floor bedrooms was added to our Holiday Home during 1955.
A fuller account is on pages 21-23.
Considering their reduced numbers our remaining sanitary inspectors did a
very useful year's work, as did the disinfectors. All furniture taken into the
Council's new flats is still disinfested with HCN, thus avoiding invidious
distinctions between tenants (page 27). The Housing Repairs & Rents Act, and
the registration of hairdressers are well in hand, thanks to the C.S.I. and
Deputy C.S.I, (pages 28-29), our smoke abatement campaign is detailed on page 31,
and our very successful food hygiene exhibition is mentioned on page 42.
Training of student sanitary inspectors has been in progress for 10 years now
(page 46), but unfortunately the less urbanised boroughs have received the
major part of the benefits of this scheme.
The Housing figures may at first sight appear somewhat disappointing as
affecting this department but this is largely due to the fact that after 1953
the Housing Committee became aware that much delay was caused by waiting for the
Ministry's results of official enquiries following representations from me, and
so replaced these by compulsory purchase. But, up to 1953 this borough had the
highest post-war figures for Medical Officer of Health representations of any