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Your Public Health staff, like those of other Departments, which
had for some time been increasingly engaged on preparing the local
Scheme of Air Raid Precautions, was, with the outbreak of war, callcd
upon to devote still more of their energies to putting the Scheme
into operation, and, since the majority of the male members joined
H.M. Forces in the early months of the war, it will be appreciated
that the maintenance of the health services was not achieved without
considerable difficulty and without great personal effort on the part
of each of those who remained to carry on the Service. The main task
of to-day is to win the war, and your staff is conscious that in helping
to maintain the health and fitness of the community they are playing
no small part in the national effort.
War brings with it new factors affecting the general well-being,
new risks and dangers to health as well as to life and limb. This war,
in particular, transforming as it has done our towns, our villages and
our homes into the actual battle-ground, presents us with health
problems not previously experienced. Such conditions call for
constant vigilance and prompt action to deal with any new threat to
health before it assumes unmanageable proportions. It speaks well
for the high standard of the health of the community and the organisation
developed for its protection that it has suffered so little from
the present great upheaval in our daily lives.
I am,
Your obedient Servant,
F. LAWRENCE SMITH,
September, 1941. Medical Officer of Health
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