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To the Chairman and Members of the Heston
and Isleworth Urban District Council.
Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit to you the following report on
the health and sanitary condition of your district and of the work
done by the Health Department during the year 1908.
It is the eighth annual report I have presented to you, and
it is also the last. The additional work entailed by the medical
inspection of the school children made it necessary that more time
should be given by the Medical Officer of Health than had hitherto
been required by the ordinary work of the department alone. As
it was impossible for me to do this, I resigned my post in order
that another officer might be appointed who would devote his
whole time to the combined duties of the health work and the
medical inspection of the schools. I think the new arrangement
is to the advantage of the district, and it was a matter of sincere
regret to me that I was unable to take advantage of the opportunity
you were kind enough to give me of continuing as your
Medical Officer of Health under the altered conditions.
The public health of the district and its general sanitary
condition during the year have on the whole been satisfactory, and
will probably be found to compare not unfavourably with those
of surrounding localities.
By far the most important matter affecting the public health
was the coming into force of the law, making the medical inspection
of the children in the schools compulsory. I would remind
you that for many years past I have urged that this duty should