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During the year the public health laboratory in the Medical
Officer of Health's Department at the Town Hall, which had given
very good service from 1937, ceased to carry out the routine examination
of samples of milk and water. This work has now been handed
over to the Public Analyst, Mr. H. Amphlett Williams, and the services
of a trained laboratory attendant have been discontinued.
There was no epidemic disease during the year. The incidence
of the common infectious diseases of childhood varied little from
that to be anticipated in a normal year. Three cases of diphtheria
were recorded during the year, all being adults, and none being fatal.
It is significant that there were no cases among children, which
emphasises the efficacy of the Council's immunisation scheme.
Measles with a total of 201 cases showed the greatest incidence,
in particular amongst children between the ages of 5 and 10 years.
Whooping-cough, with a total figure of 39, was reasonably low.
During the year the immunisation scheme for whooping-cough
introduced in 1945 continued satisfactorily, many parents availing
themselves of this immunisation service. The Minister of Health has
inaugurated a plan to test the efficacy of the immunisation and of
the various whooping-cough vaccines at present in use. The records
of immunisation in three large towns, Tottenham, Wembley, and
Manchester, will be analysed after a two-year period, and it is hoped
that a Government pronouncement on the prevention of whoopingcough
will be forthcoming in due course.
Amongst social conditions, which have shown marked deterioration
during the war years, housing is probably the worst. The
shortage of housing accommodation and the over-crowded conditions
under which people are compelled to live and rear families are
reflected in the work of a public health department. The health
of mothers and children cannot but be adversely affected by unsuitable
living conditions, and the psychological problems of many families
living together with parents-in-law give rise to much discontent.
Another effect of the destruction of property as well as the
shortage of personnel has been the shortage of maternity beds.
Although during the year no urgent case was refused admission to
a County hospital for confinement, difficulty was experienced in
allotting the beds to the right persons.
Domiciliary confinement was encouraged wherever possible, and in
this respect the district nurses have co-operated very well with the
Department. Of a total of 595 births (live and still) 280 took place
at home, as compared with 315 in institutions and nursing homes.
The Corporation's Home Help Service was of inestimable value in
assisting domiciliary confinements, but the expense involved per birth
is very much higher than in the case of institutional delivery.
The number of mothers unable to breast-feed their infants showed
an increase as compared with pre-war years. This is easily understandable
when one considers the ever-increasing burdens placed on
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