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5
TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
HEALTH COMMITTEE.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to present herewith a Report on the work of the Public
Health Department during 1931. The. Report is presented as
suggested by Circular 1206 of the Ministry of Health. The Report
on Maternity and Child Welfare work is given as a separate section.
The routine work of the Department shows an increase under
most headings and, in addition, to the visits recorded by the Sanitary
Staff, a total of 2,967 visits were paid by the Medical Staff—
mostly by myself.
Additional work was involved by the inauguration of the
Foot Clinic and the Women's Clinic. The former has proved an
unqualified success, but an opinion on the latter must be deferred
because only two sessions were held before the close of the year.
The administration of the Nursing Homes Registration Act also
increased the Departmental duties.
The Staff of the Department was increased by the appointment
of an additional Sanitary Inspector.
The Census returns showed that Walthamstow was the most
populous Municipal Borough in the country, while the RegistrarGeneral's
table of comparative Vital Statistics is generally favourable
to the Borough.
Reviewing the incidence of infectious disease there was, happily,
a diminished incidence in respect of the three main diseases. Thus,
Smallpox only showed one-third of the incidence of 1930, Scarlet
Fever three-quarters, and Diphtheria some three-fifths. Enteric
Fever, however, accounted for a total of 38 cases, 33 of which were
a part of the "Epping" outbreak. As a result of this experience
I have no hesitation in stressing the necessity for the compulsory
pasteurisation of all raw and ungraded milk. At least two important
cities in the country intend to promote the necessary legislation.
The position may well be summed up in an extract from a recent
article from the Public Health press:—
“The Americans, who are ahead of all nations in the hygiene
of food handling, insist upon pasteurisation of all milk except
of what corresponds to our certified milk, and, be it noted, the
American drinks five times as much milk as the Englishman.
But, be it noted also, in the States pasteurising plants are as
closely watched by the health authorities as distilleries are