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6
been smoking as much as men, and this is reflected in the
increasing incidence of lung cancer in women Unfortunately the
smoking habit is being acquired at very early ages Some
authorities have found that 25% of boys start smoking at the
ages of 13 to 14, and as many as 47% at 14 to 15 yrs.
Although it is not claimed that cigarette smoke is the
causal factor, it seems clear that smoking is a potent factor
in precipitating the disease in those who are susceptible. We
have here therefore much scope for preventive action.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
The total number of notified cases due to all causes was
down during the year. This gratifying fall tends to confirm the
prevalent belief that the traditional role of the M.O.H with
regard to the control of communicable diseases is assuming less
importance. The prodigous efforts of years in the improvement
of all aspects of environmental health are now bearing fruit
Yet there is much that remains. One cannot be complacent in the
face of sporadic outbreaks of such dangerous diseases as diphtheria,
and poliomyelitis, and the continued hazards of tuberculosis
Even such a seemingly attenuated disease as scarlet fever can
still cause complications such as kidney trouble and rheumatism
and the occurrence of German measles in the expectant mother is
known to cause congenital defects in the baby. These are but a
few examples of the hazards that are still with us and of the
reasons why our efforts at prevention must continue unceasingly
Diphtheria
The infrequency of diphtheria nowadays throws any outbreak
that occurs into stark relief The one that occurred in the
Higham Hill area this year, causing the death of a child,
appears a good example of the unceasing watch that must still
be exercised over all infectious diseases It affords us such
a lesson that it is worth describing in full in the report The
efforts to contain it involved long and tedious measures including
the isolation in hospital of about seventy carriers A high
immunisation rate could have avoided all this
Paratyphoid
Paratyphoid is not regarded as serious a disease as Typhoid
Even so, the patients can be seriously ill, but what is more
important it can result in prolonged absence from work with
consequential economic embarrassment to the family. The disease
is normally transmitted through food usually infected by man
It is interesting to note that the bacteria have been isolated
from quite a number of samples of imported dried eggs and