View report page

5
TO THE MAYOR ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS OF
THE BOROUGH OF WALTHAMSTOW
MR. MAYOR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
I have the honour to submit my first Annual Report on the
work of the Health Department for the year 1959. The extent of
my responsibilities for the year is a short one since I only
commenced duties in November. Dr. A. T. W. Powell, my predecessor,
retired at the end of October after twenty-nine years' service
as Medical Officer of Health to your Council, and I would like
to record my indebtedness to him for the creation of an efficient
and forward-looking Health Department. I have an added and
personal reason for thanking him, since I was his Deputy for
some years and learnt much under his tutelage.
For completeness, the Report includes the work which is
the responsibility of the Walthamstow Area Health Committee.
Much of the content deals with the extent to which routine
work has been accomplished. It is without drama and without
glamour, unless some catastrophe occurs. Repetitive as the
Report may be in each suceeding year, it does indicate an enormous
amount of work done in a quiet and efficient manner. However,
new responsibilities, extension of existing services and
unusual trends in infectious diseases do take place, and it is
fitting that attention should be drawn to these.
clean air act. The most important additional public health
responsibility of the Council which saw its beginning in 1959,
was the implementation of the Clean Air Act of 1956. Approval
was given in July to a programme, establishing in order of priority,
smoke control areas to cover the whole Borough in eight
years, and a beginning was made with a detailed survey of Area
No. 1.
This Act is comparable in public health importance to the
passing of the Metropolis Water Act of 1852 which required all
piped water to be filtered. Both conferred great benefits, but
just as the 1852 Act did not achieve one hundred per cent safety
of water supplies by filtration alone, so too, the Clean Air
Act cannot produce complete freedom from air pollution since it
excludes the internal combustion engine. Even so the result will
be an immeasurably cleaner atmosphere, to the benefit of all and
more especially to those suffering from chest diseases.