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and no deaths from infectious diseases were reported. Four cases
of poliomyelitis occurred, all of which made good recovery from
the acute stage. The residual paralysis occurring in these four
cases was treated by physiotherapy, two of them have recovered
completely.
The Infant Mortality Rate fell from 28.7 in 1948 to 23.78
in 1949. This is the lowest Infant Mortality Rate ever recorded
in the Borough and one satisfactory point to be noted in the
details of causes of infant deaths is the reduction from 9 in 1948
to 4 in 1949 of the incidence of premature births. The Infant
Mortality Rate for the rest of the country was 32. The graph on
page 12 illustrates the fall in Infant Mortality in the Borough
since 1900.
The total amount of visiting carried out by the Sanitary
Inspectors was approximately the same in 1949 as in 1948, but
again as in 1948 it can be reported that there was a higher number
of premises found to be satisfactory from the point of view of
the public health practitioner. Twenty ascertained cases of overcrowding
were reported to the Housing Committee. Legal action
was required after failure to comply with two Statutory Notices
for repairs to unsound property, but improvement was obtained
most frequently by informal action and cautionary notices.
The new Milk and Dairy Regulations introduced during 1949
resulted in a transfer of certain responsibility from the Borough
Council to other Authorities but the duty remained for the Health
Department staff to ensure that all persons selling milk should
have each premises licensed, and the supervision of these premises
remains an important part of the Sanitary Inspectors' functions.
Visits to food shops and places where food is prepared were made
to 177 individual premises.
One matter with which the Department became particularly
concerned during the latter part of the year was the possibility
of nuisance being caused by Caravans or Moveable Dwellings in
certain sites in the Borough and a survey was made. Most of
the Caravans and Houseboats were found to be in good condition
and free from nuisance, those found to be deficient are being
dealt with.
Although Food Poisoning has been a notifiable disease since
the Food and Drugs Act of 1938 came into force, special provision
for making returns of food poisoning figures to the RegistrarGeneral
was not made until 1949. The particulars of these cases
occurring throughout the country as well as locally are now to
be shown in the Registrar-General's weekly and quarterly
statistics. There were two epidemics of food poisoning during
the year affecting fairly large numbers of persons, although the
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