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To the Chairman and Members of the Chigwell
Urban District Council.
THE CHAIRMAN, MADAM AND GENTLEMEN,
I have pleasure in presenting the Annual Report of the
Medical Officer of Health for the year 1960, which includes the
report of the Chief Public Health Inspector.
It is fitting for me to refer here to the retirement
during the year of Mr. W.H. Digweed from the post of Chief Public
Health Inspector. The Council and the people of the District
owe him a great debt of gratitude for his loyal and painstaking
services over a period of 25 years of Public Service, during
which he instigated and pursued many improvements affecting the
health and welfare of the general public, and became a beloved
and respected figure. Almost from the moment of his retirement,
Mr. Digweed has regrettably suffered grievous illness, and I know
you will join me in wishing him a speedy recovery and a long and
happy retirement with good health in the future.
The Council is fortunate to have, as Mr. Digweed's
successor, Mr. G. Holmes, who came to you from the post of Deputy
Chief Public Health Inspector in Swindon, and whose first Annual
Report to you is here, included with my own report, Mr. Holmes
is, I know, already assured of your full support, and you will join
with me in wishing him a long and happy period of office.
The opening of the new Essex County Council Health Services
Clinic in The Drive, Loughton, was a noteworthy occasion of the year.
The clinic has provided a very welcome extension to the amenities of the
District, and is being increasingly used and appreciated,
VITAL STATISTICS.
The birth-rate continued almost unchanged at the
comparatively low figure of 11.6 per thousand of the population,
after applying the correction factor of 0.92 to allow for a slight
predominance of females of child-bearing age in the local population,
relative to the national "standard population".
The small rise in the overall death-rate noted in the
previous year (due to more deaths from diseases of the heart and
circulation and bronchitis) was not repeated, though deaths from
cancer were slightly more. Although deaths from motor vehicle
accidents increased from 6 to 8, there was a very welcome decrease
in other accidental deaths, from 9 to 4. 3 of these were aged
83, 83 and 85, respectively, and the remaining one was a man of
27, who died by drowning, so that no fatal home accidents occurred
to children, compared with 6 in the previous year. This is
encouraging evidence that the intensive "home safety" propaganda,
both national and local, is proving effective.
/INFECTIOUS
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