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Public Health Department,
92, Bath Road,
Hounslow,
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough of Heston and Isleworth.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my Annual Report for the year 1960.
The population of the Borough has shown no change over the last 10 years.
During these years, just over 3,000 new houses were erected in the Borough, so their
contribution must have been chiefly in relieving adverse housing conditions. The birth
rate is the highest recorded since 1949, but is still well below the national rate.
There was an increase in illegitimate births and still births during the year and the
infant mortality rate rose slightly. All these changes were small and well within the
normal variations to be expected from year to year.
The death rate shows little change and continues at slightly below the national
level. Two-thirds of the deaths in the Borough now occur in persons aged 65 years and
over. The main causes of death are cancer and degenerative conditions associated with
increasing age. In males the lungs continue to be the main site of fatal cancer, In
1951-55 the average annual deaths from suicide were 7, but in the last five years,
the number has risen to an average of 13. The death rate from tuberculosis is the
lowest in the Borough records.
Of 'preventable' deaths, the largest group is now that due to accidents. The
public seems to accept death and mutilation from accidents in the home and on the
road without perturbation but panics on the occurrence of a few cases of poliomyelitis
in the ten years 1951-60, one Borough resident died from poliomyelitis while 321 died
as a result of accidents! While motor vehicles increasingly jam our roads, manufacturers
struggle to raise the 'cruising speed', and too many drivers try to maintain it. Drugs
left lying about, a kettle of boiling water, an unguarded fire, a loose stair rod, etc.
will do more damage to children than all the infectious diseases. Accidents will not
happen unless the environment is favourable and herein is the greatest prospect of
prevention on the road and in the home and factory. Children should be protected, but
it is equally important that they should be educated as to the dangers. Most accidents
need not happen.
The Borough was relatively free of infectious disease - only dysentery and
whooping cough being more prevalent than in 1959. In general, it may be said that today
gastro-intestinal infections - dysentery, food poisoning, etc. are the main
source of anxiety. Apart from notified cases, one hears only too often of persons or
families suffering from diarrhoea and sickness. Investigation takes up much time and
requires the full co-operation of the victims and contacts in supplying specimens of
faeces. In the absence of bacteriological evidence a decision as to the cause of the
gastro enteritis presents many difficulties, especially where food poisoning has been
suspected. Where a group of cases occur in school, factory or household the presumptive
evidence may be strong, but the single isolated case is a real problem in diagnosis.
This is specially so where there is only one victim among a group who have all consumed
the same food. Gastro enteritis may be due to dietary indiscretion, be part of any
upper respiratory or other infection, or caused by organisms not usually associated
with food poisoning, but there still remain many cases where the cause of the illness
remains in doubt. Deaths from gastro intestinal infections are uncommon but only prompt
notification of cases, preferably by telephone, will give the opportunity of getting
samples of suspected food and faecal specimens during the acute phase of the illness
and thus improve the chances of finding the cause.
Much time and effort was devoted during the year to work under the Clean Air
Act. The atmosphere has always been subject to pollution from the decay of animal and
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