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The Pauses of Death - The main conditions causing
death, as recorded in the table for 1947, are Heart Disease,
155; Cancer, 79; and Intra-cranial Vascular Lesions, 56.
Day Nursery occupied places - In the four Day
Nurseries operating at the end of 1947, 46,804 attendances
were recorded, as compared with 42,495 in 1945 and 42,743 in
1946. An increasing demand for nursery places is being
experienced„
Infectious Diseases - There was a marked decrease
in the number of notifications of infectious disease during
1947 - 345, as against 466 in 1946.
Social Conditions - (i) Housing - The provision of
satisfactory housing for a very large section of the population
continues to be a most pressing and urgent problem.
Crowding of several families into houses not designed for
plural occupation, and overcrowding of rooms exists to an
extent which undermines health. The need for homes at the
end of 1947 is still a major factor affecting the health and
efficiency of the people.
(ii) An increasing number of cases of aged persons
in need of special housing provision come to notice. Satisfactory
provision for aged persons who can no longer look
after themselves and have no relatives to care for them is
one of the most acute problems requiring solution. Although
a certain amount of assistance is given to some by the granting
of Domestic Helps, this service can, as yet, only bring temporary
relief to a small number of cases.
(iii) Domestic Help Service is also given to a few
Cases of Tuberculosis remaining at home. The need for such
service is increasing, because of the long waiting period before
such patients can be sent to sanatoria or hospitals.
The provision of such domestic help in suitably
selected cases enables a measure of home treatment of the condition
to be carried out with some degree of success.
An increasing volume of enquiry is being experienced
in the department. The people have become more aware of the
Public Health Department as a source of help in time of trouble.
Many problems brought in this way are soluble by existing
facilities within or without the Health Services proper, but
very many are the outcome of illness, or stress of living conditions,
for which only a sympathetic hearing and tentative advice
may be given.
I record my thanks to my senior colleagues and all the
members of my staff for their constant help and co-operation
throughout the year.
I acknowledge gratefully the continued support and
encouragement of the Mayor, aldermen and Councillors in the work
my department.
I have the honour to be,
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
J. STARKEY,
Medical Officer of Health,,
(ii)