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BOROUGH OF BRENTFORD AND CHISWICK
Public Health Department,
Town Hall, Chiswick, W.4.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Borough of Brentford and Chiswick.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present the 31st Annual Report on the health of the
people of Brentford and Chiswick.
The health of the population in general continued to be good with no serious
outbreaks of infectious disease, though measles and influenza incidence caused
a good deal of loss of school and working time. Neither illness, however, assumed
a virulent form.
The work on the reduction of slum conditions speeded up during the year
and details of the progress of the five-year plan of slum clearance can be seen
in the Report. The rate of actual demolition of unfit property has to depend
on the availability of housing for the tenants, and so the endeavour is made
to do the necessary surveys and representations just so far ahead as will allow
for demolition soon after the legal processes have been completed.•
The incidence of infectious disease was not high during 1958 and there were
no outbreaks of any infection or of food poisoning. Two cases of paralytic
poliomyelitis were confirmed as such. The scheme for vaccination against poliomyelitis
expanded greatly during the year and by the end of 1958 a great increase
in the number of children who had had at least one injection to protect against
this disease, had taken place. In addition, progress was being made with the
provision of the second injection for children, and various classes of adults
were being offered and were receiving vaccination. It will be seen from the
Report that by the end of the year approximately half the children under 16 in
the borough had received two injections of anti-poliomyelitis vaccine.
A rise occurred in both the birth rate and the death rate, principal causes
of death being again circulatory disease, heart disease and cancer.
Although the notifications of tuberculosis were slightly lower than in 1957
the number of deaths rose being 7 as compared with 4 in the previous year.
There were no cases of diphtheria and no deaths from poliomyelitis.
Welfare work in general continued to expand and in particular the public
interest in the welfare of the aged and chronic sick became more lively. During
the year a new welfare organisation was formed which it was hoped in time would
be competent to deal with all types of welfare problems arising within the borough.
The first work carried out was the provision of a new Meals on Wheels
service operated from the Public Health Department, and altogether during 1958,
3,000 more meals for the house-bound elderly were provided than during the
previous year.
Work on the prevention of atmospheric pollution continued throughout the
year, routine observations being taken at the various sites where instruments
have been kept, and complaints of smoke nuisance being investigated and abated
by voluntary action of the owners of industrial firms.
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