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It is a matter for regret that the number of confinements carried out in the patient's
own home is becoming less each year. In 1951, only 150 infants were born at home, whereas
five years previously the figure was 408. By thus making confinement appear like an illness
requiring hospital treatment, the family relationship to both mother and infant is affected
often with serious psychological effect on the older children. The occurrence of puerperal
pyrexia in home cases is compared with that in hospital cases, and it is noteworthy that out
of 11 notifications of puerperal pyrexia, 10 occurred in hospital cases while only one was
a home case.
The total of infectious disease notifications, i.e., 1,835, excluding tuberculosis, showed
an increase over the previous year's figure. This was principally occasioned by the very
high incidence of measles which assumed epidemic form in the latter end of 1950, and
continued to spread widely during the first part of 1951. Although measles was widely
spread, the character of the disease was, on the whole, mild and no deaths occurred from this
disease. The incidence of pneumonia was almost double that of 1950, and was attributable
no doubt, in part to the epidemic of influenza which occurred in January. The number of
cases of poliomyelitis notified was 11, but only one assumed the paralytic form, and there
were no deaths from this disease. There was no diphtheria in the Borough, and scarlet fever
continued to be of a mild type, many cases being nursed at home without secondary infection
occurring.
An improvement is shown in the number of new cases of tuberculosis notified. This declined
from 84 in 1950 to 80 in 1951. The number of deaths from this disease was 15; this
was not an improvement on the previous year, as the number occurring in 1950 was also 15,
and it is a cause for anxiety that of the persons who died, four had not previously been recognised
as suffering from tuberculosis. Certain special groups of the population were examined
by Mass X-Ray during the year, or were tested for tuberculosis sensitivity in order that
B.C.G. vaccination might be given to those found to require it.
An outbreak of sickness in school children was traced to infection with Sonne dysentery,
and energetic measures were taken to eradicate this completely by the tracing of all germ
carriers and obtaining treatment for them until they were completely clear. Only one outbreak
of food poisoning occurred during the year in a local factory canteen. The number
of persons affected was not large, and no one was made seriously ill, but this occurrence
and the investigation of the Sonne dysentery outbreak gave an opportunity for further
propaganda in the maintenance of hygiene in catering establishments.
Overcrowding of families in their homes is still a very serious problem. At the end
of 1951, 145 cases, comprising over 250 families, still living in overcrowded conditions were
known to the Public Health Department and as overcrowding is not usually brought to the
notice of this Department unless some additional circumstance is causing mental anxiety or
physical distress, it will be appreciated that this is a real public health problem.
The number of complaints received with regard to housing defects was less in 1950, and
it will be seen from Table XVI that the number of inspections required as a result of these
complaints was 6,385. This compares with a figure of 6,809 in 1950. The number of
defective dwelling houses found was 680, a considerable reduction on last year's figure of
1,043.
The results of the investigation of atmospheric pollution which continued throughout
the year shows the amount of smoke and sulphur deposited in the Borough to be slightly
less than in 1950, and that the air of Southall is not heavily polluted although there is still
plenty of room for improvement.
Health propaganda continued throughout the year, talks and displays of film strips on
hygiene being given to many societies and health education by word of mouth, propaganda
posters, leaflets, and personal interviews being maintained. Articles on hygiene were published
in the Council's Civic News Sheet for free distribution throughout the Borough.
With regard to the clean handling of food, catering establishments and shops were kept
under supervision and the importance of wrapping food and keeping it from human contact
explained and encouraged by the sanitary inspectors. The provision of covered fish display
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