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There were no cases of smallpox or typhoid but two
paratyphoid cases. No deaths occurred from any infectious
disease except one from Infantile paralysis, one from
pneumococcal meningitis and two from meningococcal infection.
There were 50 deaths from tuberculosis and 241 from cancer.
The figures for 1951 wore 49 and 232 respectively.
Perhaps the most serious happening this year was the
great increase in the number of deaths related to a period
of dense smoke-fog which occurred in London between the 5th
and 8th December. The first indication of abnormality was
the reported deaths of cattle at the Smithfield Show. Later
it was assessed that 4,000 human deaths in Greater London
could be attributed to the fog. For week ended 13th December
the number of deaths recorded in the administrative
County of London had been exceeded only four times during
the past century.
The effect in Stepney was indicated by the following
figures: • Deaths in Stepney from bronchitis, pneumonia,
influenza, other diseases of the respiratory system and
cardiac diseases during the week of the fog and the week
after (viz. weeks ended 13th and 20th December) were 115.
During the corresponding two weeks in 1951 the figure was 37.
Similar weather conditions bringing fog (high barometric
pressure, low ground temperature and high relative humidity)
may recur, and the obvious danger to health caused by smoke
in fog has focussed attention on the need for further measures
to achieve smoke abatement in London.
Byelaws for the clean handling of food came into force
on" 3rd November 1952. These byelaws cover not only shops
and cafes but also the sale of food in the open air. In
the latter case they are difficult to apply. It is quite
Impossible to equip food-barrOws with hot and cold water
and proper sanitary conditions and no amount of care can
keep dust and flies from food sold under such primitive
conditions. With the multiplicity of well-equipped food
shops in 1952, barrows and snack shacks would seem unnecessary,
but ancient customs die hard.
Stepney is a centre of the food trade. Much food is
imported and there are important wholesale markets and foodfactories
in the Borough. Hie pictures facing page 27 show
the Council's food inspectors examining food on the -wharves
under the Imported Food Regulations of 1937' and sampling in
a food-factory under the Food and Drugs Act, 1938.
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