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6
PART
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
In reviewing progress made in prevention and treatment of
infectious diseases, a valuable pointer can be obtained from a
study of the mortality rates for the boroughs These are available
for the past half century and their relation is shown in the charts
printed on subsequent pages of this report. Overall figures
demonstrate the substantial reduction in the number of deaths for
all the principal infectious diseases; and may be said to reflect
the advances made in recent years in measures for control.
TUBERCULOSIS
Although the death rate from this disease is falling, the
number of notifications of pulmonary tuberculosis remains high,
Pin-pointing the notified cases on a map of the district shows how
widely and evenly dispersed these cases are over the whole area.
Priority in re-housing on municipal estates-so popular a recommendation
by all concerned with curative measures in the individual
provides no answer to the community prohlem of prevention of
spread of the disease.
In a densely populated district such as Tottenham the means
for widely introducing a scheme of voluntary B.C.G. Inoculation
seems justified. At present this preventive measure is limited to
"contact" cases at the local Chest Clinic and to a small experiment
among children of school-leaving age, conducted during the past
year under the auspices of the Medical Research Council.
In the decline of notified cases of non-pulmonary tuberculosis
the extension of pasteurisation to almost all the milk supplied
to the Greater London Area, has been a most important factor.
As from the 1st October 1951 no other than Designated Milk may be
sold in the London Area.