[Report 1911] / Medical Officer of Health, Chatham Borough.

  • Chatham (Kent, England). Borough Council.
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1911] / Medical Officer of Health, Chatham Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    1/64
    Borougl) of CDatham. >-< TO THE MAYOR AND CORPORA'FION OF THE BOROUGH OF CHATHAM. Gentlemen,— I Rave the honour to place before you my Annual Report, dealing with the Sanitary Conditions of your District, the Administrative Work of the Health Department, and the Sickness and Mortality occurring during the year ending December 31st, 1911. I'his review of the preceding year’s work tends to grow in extent and importance, and as the causes of disease are being more and more investigated, so the need for preventive rather than curative measures in the case of many of them has become increasingly evident. Public health administration now embraces many subjects, which, a fe^v years ago, were hardly considered as coming within its scope, and its aim is first of all the discovery of the causes which bring about disease ; secondly, the best means of counteracting these caused by removing them, or if that is not possible, by mitigating their influence. Much ignorance and prejudice exists amongst the public in respect of many matters vital to their health, and to dissipate this ignorance is the true function of every Health Authority. I do not hesitate to say that the great stumbling block to the efforts of Health Officials lies in the apathy and neglect of the people themselves, and so it comes that in addition to the routine administration, much work of an educative character is required, and much time, patience and tact is called for in order to get people to observe rules, and to carry out measures designed for their benefit, but which they seem reluc- tant to take advantage of. With many of them the mere trouble of doing what is right ])roves too much, and they prefer to put up with conditions which are detrimental to health, and which they could easily remedy for themselves. The efforts of a Sanitary Authority, however compre- hensive and well directed, must fall short of their ideal unless they can secure the intelligent co-operation of the individual members of the community, and this co-operation varies with the social and economic circumstances of every district. I regret to state that many of the inhabitants of this town conspicuously neglect their duties and responsibilities in this matter. This is the more remarkable because it coincides with a growing demand for sanitary efficiency on the part of Local Authorities, and any neglect of duties on their part very soon becomes the subject of complaint, and very rightly so, but at the same time it should not