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5
BOROUGH OF BARNES.
REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
FOR THE YEAR 1953
PREFACE
The Registrar General supplies local authorities with "Comparability
Factors" in respect of births and deaths, and you will see
that these have been used in the compilation of the various statistics.
I would explain that the use of the factors supplied by the Registrar
General give corrected figures to the local rates, enabling truer comparisons
to be made with the remainder of the country—i.e. as though
the ages and sexes of the local population were in the same proportion
as those for the whole country.
STAFF AND DUTIES
There have been no changes of staff in the Public Health Department
during the year.
The Medical Officer of Health and Sanitary Inspectors carry out
all the duties laid down by the Sanitary Officers Regulations, with the
exception of those relating to Diseases of Animals and Public Cleansing.
In addition the Sanitary Inspectors carry out the full provisions
of the Shops Acts, the Pet Animals Act, Petroleum Acts, Heating Appliances
(Fireguards) Act, and assist the Medical Officer of Health in
connection with duties under the National Assistance Act relating
to the welfare of aged, infirm or chronic sick cases.
All work carried out by the Department is dealt with by the
Public Health Committee with the exception that rehousing matters
are taken by the Housing Committee. Shops Act matters are brought
before the General Purposes Committee.
PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS
DISEASES
Generally
The incidence of Infectious Disease during the year was low.
The cases of Scarlet Fever were only half the number of those in 1952,
and there were three cases of Poliomyelitis compared with eight in the
previous year. Although 1953 was the epidemic year for measles, there
were only 57 cases more than in the previous year.
There were no cases of Diphtheria.