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8
I often wonder whether the child sitting on the doorstep with a penny whistle, filling his
soul with self made music whilst comforting the howling dog beside him, was not more
satisfied and contented than his modern omnipotent counterpart garbed and gunned up like
television s Davy Crockett, riding a chromium plated tricycle or expensive Mobo horse and
dissipating his energies in comet like rushes and frantic whoopings And similarly the adult
who delights in being transported a hundred miles not on a phantasy propelled magic carpet
but in a petrol pulsating motor car merely for the infantile delight of experiencing
movement without effort In a way I welcome the problem of traffic congestion because it may
solve this aspect of man's retardation in mental growth without the tragic end that overtook
Icarus For who knows but that the cerebral commotion which may be a part of rapid transport
(airmen were not grounded for nothing during the war is not a contributory cause of the
mental breakdown so common and so distressing a feature of adolescence and middle life and
so glibly attributed to the strain of living to-day.
I do not believe that indeed we live longer in the twentieth century I believe merely that
we take much longer dying.
I greatly deprecate the streets of East Ham cluttered up by the shrouded and tethered hulks
of a thousand cars To me they symbolize the spirit of their owners tied and imprisioned in a
mechanical contraption when they should be free to seek out a thousand adventures into
literature music art and just, quiet observation and contemplation The motor car designed to
ease the burden of mankind has come to dominate him like a death breathing Moloch demanding
even the sacrifice of children both in the slaughter on our roads and in the falling birth
rate which has never before been so low in the story of our borough.
I would wish to thank all the members of the public health staff who have worked together as
a happy team to maintain at a high level the health services offered to the people
I am grateful, in particular, to my Deputy„ Dr. Drummond for his assiduous and valuable
help and to Mr Horsnell, the Chief Administrative Assistant, far his vigilance and
erudition in departmental administration and generous help in the preparation of my annual
reports
I welcome the opportunity to thank Mr Alderman Hurford the Chairman of the Health
Committee for his helpful and constructive criticism of our work and his continued support
throughout the year He has guided the Health Committee through their deliberations in a most
statesmanlike manner made possible only by a deep knowledge of the minutiae of public health
administration as applied to the need of the community
I have the honour to be Mr Mayor Ladles and Gentlemen
Your obedient Servant
J.S. COLEMAN
Medical Officer of Health and
Principal School Medical Officer