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of children protected against smallpox diphtheria whooping cough, tetanus and
poliomyelitis before they reach the age of one year varies from year to year, but on
the average is less than half of the number of children born in the year. This proportion
is not high enough and parents should not be lulled into a false seribe of
security
It is advisable that a record should be readily available of the protective
inoculations etc which have been given to any person. This applies especially to
tetanus where a doctor may have to decide on the action to be taken against this risk
in road casualties and other wounds Similarly it is important in an emergency to
know if a patient is a diabetic or is taking drugs of the steroid group certificates
of immunisation are issued and diabetics and patients on steroid drugs are usually
given a card to carry with them at all times Experience has shown that such certificates
and cards get mislaid and that parents memories about their children's
inoculations are unreliable The problem is to devise a method whereby such information
would be readily available at all times Tattooing has been suggested but there are
many objections to this A metal disc to be worn round the neck or on the wrist might
be the solution Agreed symbols could be used to indicate the items to be recorded
and so get the maximum of information without making the disc of unacceptable size
Water supply and sewage disposal occupy little space in the report The ease
with which water is available and waste matters disposed of, tends to make the public
forget the work done and continued to make this possible To obtain an adequate supply
of water to purify it and to maintain a constant vigilance over it during storage and
distribution is no mean task Equally the disposal of sewage and waste water calls
for high technical skill and engineering ability Does the housewife realise as she
gaily adds detergent in good measure to her washing water that such action results in
considerable daily expenditure at the disposal works to control foam and that because
of the interference of detergents with the purification method, the works have had to
be enlarged at a cost of nearly a million pounds? in using detergents enough is better
than too much and makes for personal and municipal economy
The Department continued to give much time and effort to work in connection with
Smoke control Areas As each Smoke Control Order is made preliminary work on the next
area starts and so it is hoped to maintain a steady programme till the whole of the
Borough is covered The public affected by the Orders made to date have been co-operative
but are confused at times by the multiplicity of names under which solid smokeless
fuels are marketed These fuels are of three categories - (a) suitable for any
open fire (b) suitable for approved types of open fire and (c) suitable for closed
stoves and hot water boilers and customers should seek advice from the retailer of
appliances or from their fuel merchant Plans of new industrial buildings have to be
studied in relation to the Clean Air Act We want chimney stacks high enough to secure
adequate dispersal and dilution of smoke and/or flue gases If this means a stack
protruding well ahove the building objections mostly on aesthetic grounds, are sometimes
made but health considerations must come first Much continues to be heard about
black smoke from diesel engines It is right that effort should be made to reduce this
to a minimum but it should be remembered that the petrol engine, with much of its
fuel only partly combusted is a more serious health hazard than the diesel engine.
Throughout the year attention was given to unfit houses ancj the general maintenance
of housing standards The use made of improvement grants is disappointing There
are still many houses lacking the amenities covered by the grants and their improvement
would be a solid contribution to better housing conditions if these grants are
to be really effective landlords must be prepared to spend money and tenants to give
up a room for conversion to a bathroom and to pay the permitted increase in rent on
completion of the work
Improvements in lay-out design and equipment in food shops are apparent to all.
They are making their contribution to food hygiene but must be reinforced by the
individual action of all food handlers The failure to rinse milk bottles is a typical
example of indifference to the elementary principles of food hygiene Investigations
by the milk trade have shown that the worst offenders in order of incidence, in this
respect are (a) schools (b) building sites and other casual consumers (c) canteens,
etc. and shops and (d) housewives
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