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9
environmental hygiene in limiting the spread of infection, and by midsummer
the outbreak had subsided.
Twenty-three cases of 'Food Poisoning' also were notified during the
first quarter, and here again faults In personal hygiene would surely be
uncovered as the main vehicle of spread of the Illness.
Many of our houses have outside W.C's, in most Instances gloomy
unventllated insanitary structures, and It Is not hard to see that the
probability of hand washing after the use of the toilet Is very remote,
as is also the possibility of Inculcating elsewhere this habit which
cannot be perpetuated In the home. In how many of our new houses and
flats Is a wash-hand basin with towel rail and running water Installed
as a standard fitting in the W.C.?
Our clean food campaign will progress but little until this lesson
of personal hygiene acquired in the home, is carried into the shops and
milk and food processing factories.
1951 must stand out as the peak year for the notification of
Infectious diseases, and of the 3,459 certified cases one in 13 was
treated in hospital, often for social or domestic reasons rather than
the severity of the Illness.
The Council's attention Is once more directed to the problem of the
old people. Great difficulty is often experienced In securing admission
to hospital for aged persons who suffer acute or chronic illness. This
Is a Regional Hospital Board problem, but results in a number of aged
sufferers being nursed and indifferently cared for in their own homes.
In like manner we have Insufficient hostel accommodation to meet the needs
of the ablebodied elderly who for various reasons can no longer find a
haven at home. And between these two groups is a growing number of old
infirm people, not ill enough to require admission to hospital, and
needing medical and nursing care too often to warrant placement in our
hostels as at present staffed and managed. Many in this category drag
out a miserable existence in their homes and fall a ready prey to
sickness and heartbreaking loneliness with much attendant suffering
which could surely be prevented.
The Council have agreed, as a matter of policy, In the near future,
to the discontinuance of the Aldersbrook Homes for the Institutional care
of children. Here then is a golden opportunity to adapt fine buildings
to the care of a section of the community for which fresh policy must be
formulated, and no section of our burgesses yearns more for our compassion
and sympathy.
We are rapldy approaching the day when one in seven of our borough's
population will be over 65 years of age, and social provision will have
to be made to ease somewhat the Intolerable burden of old age both to the
harassed family and the unfortunate individual, and deferring the problem
will not lighten the eventual solution.
The District Nurses, the Health Visitors, the ancillary Home Help
and Day Nursery Services, together with the Ambulance Service, have all
played their part in supplying the manifold social needs of a modern
community, whilst the Chief Sanitary Insepctor, Mr. D.G. Tonkin, and his
loyal team, have contributed not a little to the maintenance of a good
standard of hygiene and sanitation in every part of the borough.
In the body of the report will be found details and statistical
analysis of the various services which fall to the supervision of the
Health Committee, and to its Chairman and all Its hard-working members I
tender thanks for their consideration and encouragement throughout a
difficult year.