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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 34th Annual Report on the health of the
people of Brentford and Chiswick
The year 1961 was statistically not an entirely satisfactory one for the
general health of the citizens
There was a rise in the death rate, arise in the birth rate combined with
a rise in the infant mortality rate the number of infants born prematurely re
mained for the second successive year two and a half times as large as in
1950 The number of illegitimate births was nearly twice that of ten years ago
Nevertheless in a year of bad weather with limited sunshine during the
summer months infectious disease did not present great problems although there
was a good deal of influenza and a considerable amount of mild measles One
case of paralytic poliomyelitis occurred diphtheria was absent and scarlet
fever and dysentery cases were few in number Notifications of tuberculosis
were fewer and for the second year in succession only one death from this
disease was recorded
The low incidence of food poisoning is good a reward for the increasing
care which is taken in the supervision both of the food to be eaten and the
methods of handling displaying and distributing it
Comfort and assistance for the elderly the handicapped and the chronic
sick increases year by year and co operation between the Department and the
voluntary and other local authority bodies functioning in these matters is
excellent The kindness and goodwill of the general public towards the less
fortunate members of the community is shown by the amount of time spent and
money gathered and distributed by the voluntary organisations of the Borough
many of whom have short summaries of their work included in this Report
Work on the reduction of Atmospheric Pollution continued throughout the
year the second Smoke Control Order was confirmed and the survey on the third
was well advanced before the end of 1961
A year of preventive medicine can be considered successfully completed
when there has been no drama no need for spectacular action and an increase
in the health happiness, and pursuit of knowledge amongst the citizens 1961
was such a year in which there were no great epidemics to lower resistance to
disease later and fill the hospital beds more facilities for and use of means
of public entertainment and recreation greater provision of and demand for,
educational and library amenities so that in spite of the vital statistics, it
seems reasonable to hope for long term benefits from an uneventful year