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9
METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF HACKNEY.
REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
FOR THE YEAR 1929.
Public Health Department,
Town Hall, Hackney, E. 8.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit, in accordance with the instructions
of the Ministry of Health, the Annual Report on the health of the
Metropolitan Borough of Hackney for the year 1929.
The Annual Report to be submitted for 1930 will be a Survey
Report, describing the measure of progress and the extent and
character of the changes made during the preceding five years in the
Public Health Services of the Borough, "together with any further
action of importance contemplated by the Local Authority or considered
desirable by the Medical Officer of Health." I will, therefore,
confine this Report to a description of the immediate difficulties that
beset us, such as smallpox, and a statement of the work carried out by
the Department.
No apology is necessary for referring in considerable detail
to the question of smallpox. The disease has been mild and the
loss of life inconsiderable; the loss of money, dislocation of industry,
and interference with the work of the Department very far from
negligible. When one considers the work comprised under the heading
"Sanitary Inspection," details of which will be found further on in
the Report, bearing in mind that the regular staff consists of only
fourteen district Sanitary Inspectors and six Sanitary Inspectors for
special purposes, food, etc., it will be realised how much interference
with the ordinary duties of the Department has resulted from this
cause. You cannot add to the ordinary duties thousands of contacts
to be visited during the year—the maximum number reached at any
one time being 941 at different addresses—the investigation of the
movements of these persons, the visiting of factories and workplaces,
etc., arising out of their movements, investigation of chickenpox cases,
etc., the supervision of the enormous additional amount of disinfection
required, etc., without causing considerable dislocation of the ordinary
duties of the Department and very considerable additional work for
everyone concerned.