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THE COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF SOUTHALL, 1955
HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR
*Councillor P. J. Love, J.P.
Deputy Mayor:
Alderman H. C. Douglas.
Aldermen:
*Dane, A. T. Gardner, F. E. †*LowE, J. (Chairman)
Douglas, H. C. Hopkins, W. H. *Marks, F. J., J.P.
Councillors:
*Barrett, J. Day, F. R. †Sheil, E. J.
Cavell, Mrs. I., J.P. Haigh, J. Shepherd, A. H.
*Cripps, C. B. Hook, R. E. †*Southey, P. G.
Errington, F. G. †*Jones, Mrs. E. W. Steele, T. J.
*Godman, A. S. *Love, P. J., J.P. *Ward, J. H.
*Griffiths, Mrs. M. C. Salmon, J. *Williams, Mrs. V. G. I.
*Members of the Public Health Committee.
†Members of the Area Health Committee (Area No. 9).
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Borough of Southall.
MR. MAYOR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
I have the honour to present the 59th Annual Report on the health and circumstances
of the population of the Borough of Southall. The health of the people continued to be
good.
The death rate and the infant mortality rate continued to fall, the latter being the lowest
yet recorded in the Borough, and there was a slight rise in the birth rate. Although heart
disease, coronary disease and cancer were again the principal causes of death, the figures
for each showed a slight drop from the 1954 level.
Deaths from tuberculosis fell and there were no maternal deaths. Although the
figures of infectious disease notifications were very much higher than in 1954, the major
part of this increase was due to a measles outbreak which though widespread was not severe
in character. The number of cases of dysentery and food poisoning was lower than in
1954 in spite of the hot, dry summer which would normally be expected to encourage the
spread of these infections, and this says much for the good standard of hygiene maintained
by the general public and by the food traders.
There were no cases of diphtheria. Poliomyelitis was more prevalent, however, than
it had been for a number of years. 28 cases were notified of which 21 were confirmed
as poliomyelitis, 8 of them being of the paralytic type, and two deaths occurred from this
disease. Again a hot, dry summer made conditions ideal for the spread of this infection
and it was feared that a real outbreak might take place. Every case was investigated very
fully and contacts excluded from school or work, and we were fortunate to be able at the
end of the year, when assessing the damage done by this disease, to find that the total
number of persons affected was lower than in the last difficult year which was 1949.
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