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unidentified and therefore untreated unless they happen to attract the
interest of a hospital clinic or family practitioner, or until they
develop signs or complications of the disease, which lead them to
seek treatment. It is my opinion that this situation will persist
until such time as the Ministry of Health gives its approval to schemes
of publicity and a screening test available to the whole population
as in the case of Mass Radiography. The Council has already
indicated its own wish for such a policy to be adopted in this
District, and detailed proposals were submitted to the Ministry's
officers in order that the necessary expenditure could be authorised.
The Ministry has hovever not so far agreed to any Local Authority
schemes for screening tests open to the general population,as this is
contrary to their present policy of relying on "high risk" members of
the communities reporting to their doctors of their own accord for
testing, or being found and tested by general practitioners, clinics
and hospitals, in the normal course of their routine work. There is
abundant evidence that this has not been effective so far, and it is
difficult to foresee any greater success for early detection of
diabetes by these means in the future, except possibly through
extensive schemes of public education on a National Scale over a
long period. Close relatives of known diabetics, women who have
borne more than six children (or a baby weighing more than ten
pounds) and people over fifty who are, or have been, too fat, should
ask their doctors to check periodically - especially if any of the
following symptoms are present:- thirst, passing of water in
excessive amounts, skin irritation, or loss of weight.
Accident Prevention. During the year, dairy firms in the
District were approached with a view to obtaining their assistance in
a drive to reduce the dangers from broken milk bottles. With their
co-operation, which is now gratefully acknowledged, 10,000 labels
were distributed with milk bottles supplied by salesmen and shop
assistants.
Tobacco Poisoning. Every opportunity was taken, particularly
during visits to schools, to discourage young people from acquiring the
habit of smoking cigarettes with a view to reducing their liability to
chronic bronchitis and lung cancer in later life.
Atmospheric Pollution. Your Chairman of the Public Health
Committee and I continued to represent you on the London and Home
Counties Clean Air Advisory Council. The support of the Joint
Conference of the Local Authorities (S.W„ Essex), was obtained for
your representations to introduce further legislation for making the
sealing of diesel fuel injector equipment obligatory.
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