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SECTION C. — SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES.
The greatest single adverse sanitary circumstance affecting
the welfare of our population to-day is undoubtedly housing. It
is no exaggeration to say that the problem has to a large extent
paralysed our public health housing procedure and the overcrowding
provisions of the 1936 Housing Act cannot be
implemented. Compulsory abatement of overcrowding requires
alternative accommodation. For this reason Health Departments
have had to mark time with regard to unfit housing and accept
a policy of "make do and mend".
The Public Health Committee and the Department have been
very concerned over the unsatisfactory bacteriological results
from samples of ice-cream which have been reported from time
to time. As there is only one producer in the area the pursuit
of the enquiry at the manufacturing end has generally
been left with other local authorities, and in every case, we have
met with the most enthusiastic co-operation. It is very clear
that at the present time we lack a yardstick to measure impurity
and to enforce the maintenance of proper standards.
In common with many other Public Health Departments, the
difficulty of recruiting adequately trained staff has been a matter
of some concern, especially in view of the importance of their
work in these ersatz times.
Water Supply. The district is supplied by the Metropolitan
Water Board and by the Sutton District Water Company.
Their respective distributive areas are approximately the parishes
of Merton and Morden.
The supply of the Metropolitan Water Board is only sampled
infrequently as a routine, otherwise samples are taken when
circumstances indicate the necessity for local investigation.
The Board supplies copies of their official minutes in which the
results of the examinations are recorded.
Routine examinations of the Sutton District Water Company's
supply are undertaken by the Authorities in the supply
area upon an agreed rota, which provides for bacteriological and
chemical samples each month. The Company, in addition to the
examinations undertaken by their own full-time Chemist, arrange
for Consulting Chemists to undertake monthly examinations.
Copies of the reports of these Consulting Chemists are received
by local Medical Officers of Health whilst the records of the
Company's own analyses are available for inspection by the
Medical Officers.
The quality of the supply as shown by the sampling was
satisfactory.
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