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PREFACE
To the Chairman and Members of the
Carshalton Urban District Council.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present my Annual Report for the year 1939,
and in so doing apologise for its late appearance, which, as the Council
will appreciate, has been occasioned by circumstances beyond my
control. Although Reports such as this lose some of their value if not
presented within a reasonable time, they are still essential if the record
of health administration is to be maintained. Such continuity is
necessary if we are to keep ourselves in a position to assess progress
and to be able successfully to review the trend of policy.
The statistics show that, taken as a whole, the year will favourably
stand comparison with those of the past. Some show an improvement
on 1938, others are not quite so good, but on balance there was no
marked change.
The birth rate fell to a new low record. General and infant
mortality were better than in the year before and were both substantially
less than that for the country as a whole. Maternal mortality
was higher than for the preceding year, since three such deaths were
recorded as against two.
The situation with regard to the major infectious diseases was
particularly good. Prevalence of all was lower, and no deaths resulted
from any. Tuberculosis was rather more in evidence, and it will be
surprising if it does not become more so as the result of continued
war-time conditions.
Sanitary supervision, in spite of a depleted staff and the many
difficulties in the way of remedial action imposed by the war, was
maintained at a high level of efficiency. Our health standards must
not be lowered, but policy must now take account of the hard facts of
the situation, and requirements must be determined more than ever
by what is practicable.
The Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme continued to progress
and its activities refused to be interrupted by the threat of air raids.
Still more mothers and infants attended the Clinics, although the
attendances were somewhat less. It was, however, a great disappointment
when the arrangements for building the new Clinic at St. Helier,
which had reached an advanced stage, had to be deferred until after
the war.
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