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The total number of infectious disease notifications in 1949 was 477
compared with a total of 1262 in 1948. This is a big drop and there appears to
have been a smaller number of notifications of all infections with the exception
of poliomyelitis. There were 14 cases of poliomyelitis and polioencephalitis; 5 had
some residual paralysis requiring treatment, 7 were non-paralytic. There were
two deaths from polioencephalitis. There was no relationship between the cases,
except in one instance where two persons living in the same house were
attacked simultaneously, and no ascertainable source of infection in any one.
The numbers of inspections made for housing defects increased from 5102
in 1948 to 5788, and as a result of these inspections 838 defects of a lesser or
greater degree were discovered. 754 of these dwelling houses were rendered fit
either as a result of informal action or following statutory enforcement. The
remainder were still under review at the end of 1949.
The number of cases of overcrowding coming to the notice of the Public
Health Department during the year was rather lower than in 1948, i.e., 50 new
cases of statutory overcrowding compared to 70 in the previous year. A
noteworthy and satisfying figure is that 70 cases of overcrowding were relieved
by the rehousing of the overcrowded families during 1949, as compared with 54
in 1948.
The Borough has been fortunate in that no outbreaks of food poisoning
have occurred, and in 1949 there were only four notifications of individual cases
of food poisoning.
There are several large food factories in the Borough which require
constant supervision, and the catering establishments of the Borough, with the
exception of school meals canteens and hospital kitchens, have been surveyed. A
considerable number of structural defects have been remedied and advice given
with regard to the proper and clean handling of food for human consumption.
Propaganda by posters or by talks to clubs, youth groups and workers in
canteens has been continued.
The experiment on the Irradiation of Upper Air in Schools, commenced in
1947 to investigate the usefulness of such a method in the attempt to reduce
infectious disease incidence in highly populated buildings, was completed at
the end of 1949, but the report of the Medical Research Council, which will
give the results of the experiment, is not yet available.
During a Civic Week held by the Southall Borough Council in July the
Public Health Department staff arranged a display stand and took the
opportunity to use this exhibition for hygiene propaganda purposes. It was
arranged al.so that the Mass Radiography Unit should be in attendance during
the whole of the Civic Week at the exhibition site in order that the general
public, as well as school parties, factory workers, etc., could be X-Rayed.
During the year also the Medical Research Council carried out a survey on
the tuberculin sensitivity of 4,165 school children and adolescents as part of the
scheme of investigation to be carried out throughout the country, prior to the
initiation of B.C.G. vaccination against tuberculosis.
Two stations were erected for the investigation of atmospheric pollution in
the neighbourhood, and the first figures obtained seem to suggest that the air
of Southall is remarkably free from heavy atmospheric pollution compared to
that of most corresponding industrial areas.
A long standing nuisance which has been a subject of constant
investigation and observation by the Health Department for many years was
abated during 1949. This was a tipping site known as Yeading Dump, used for
the deposit of refuse from the Borough of Marylebone and St. Pancras. The site
was not actually within the Borough boundary, but gave offence by reason of
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