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The Causes of Death - The main conditions causing
death as recorded in the table for 1952 are Heart
Disease - l40; Cancer - 80; and Vascular Lesions
of the Nervous System -66.
Housing - During the year under review an important
contribution to the public health was made by the completion
of 158 housing units, 24% of which had to be constructed
outside the Borough.
The Borough is now completely built up and presents a
density of dwellings and population which exceeds that of
most of the Municipal Boroughs. The town is saved from
sane of the deleterious effects of high density by being
surrounded by open spaces and the river.
Nevertheless these circumstances of high density,
together with the presence of many obsolete houses
referred to in Section D, page 22, make it imperative
that the Council consider and plan for REHOUSING a
portion of its population in modern type blocks of
dwellings, which give housing amenities to the maximum
number of families, with the minimum occupation of
ground space.
Only by such development can the existing amenities
of the riverside be enhanced, and the over congestion
in the centre of the town be relieved.
A first step in this direction could be to allocate
a proportion of new dwellings to occupants of properties
which should now be demolished because they are worn out
and not repairable at reasonable expense.
Staff - 1952 saw the retirement of Mr. H. T. Perry,
0.B.E. who had held office as Chief Sanitary Inspector
for 3k years and to whom reference was made in the
letter to the Report for 1951.
The year also saw the appointment of Mr. George Carl
Smith who brings to the office the fruits of long
experience in Sanitary Inspector's work, and who had
previously been on our staff as Sanitary Inspector for
nine years, thus being thoroughly familiar with the
special problems of the town.
We welcome him and look forward to a successful
association with him in the work of the Department.
I wish now to record my appreciation of the help given
me by my colleagues in all departments and especially of the
public health department, and I respectfully ackowledge the
support and encouragement of the Chairman and Members of the
Public Health Committee and the Worshipful the Mayor, Members
and Aldermen of the Council.
I have the honour to be,
Your obedient Servant,
J.W. STARKEY,
Medical Officer of Health.