[Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Slough Borough.

  • Slough Borough Council
Date:
1951
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Slough Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    very large epidemic of measles during the early months of the year. Here again, however, the infectious diseases, with the exception of poliomyelitis were, as a rule, mild in nature. The number of cases of poliomyelitis was about the same as in 1950. The incidence throughout the country as a whole was considerably less in 1951 than it had been during the previous year but Slough was not fortunate enough to partake of this reduction although it cannot be said that the incidence at any time approached epidemic proportions. In practice the monkey is the only animal which can be used for the study of the spread of the disease and until other methods of growing the virus easily can be produced the method of spread is extremely difficult to determine but it is probable that the disease is, in most instances, conveyed by contagion. The other major infectious disease, pulmonary tuberculosis, showed a further notified increase in 1951 although no doubt some of the increase was due to better notification following the visit of the Mass X-Ray Unit. One important feature of the campaign against tuberculosis which is often overlooked is the reduction in the death rate. While it is true that this was slightly higher than that shown by the phenominally low figures in 1950, if that year is excluded the continual decline in the death rate from pulmonary tuberculosis has been maintained. There was a slight change in the principal causes of death. Heart disease and cancer still took first and second places respectively, but pneumonia and bronchitis equalled vascular lesions of the nervous system in third place and accidents increased to share the next place on the list with tuberculosis ; other diseases of the circulatory system remained in seventh place. The constant watch on the quality of foods and drugs offered for sale was maintained by the Sanitary Inspectors and it will be seen in the main report that a higher proportion of ice cream samples was satisfactory, the best feature being that over 75% samples were in Grade I. This improve¬ ment reflects credit not only upon the Health Department staff but also upon the manufacturers and distributors who are becoming increasingly aware of the necessity for clean food. The Council increased the number of Sanitary Inspectors during the year and much more attention has since been paid to premises concerned with the handling, storing or selling of foodstuffs. In the Chief Sanitary Inspector’s section of the report the system upon which the campaign is being conducted is outlined but in¬ sufficient information on the working of the scheme is available for this report. The subject will receive its full share of attention in 1952. I wish to thank the Members of the Health and Sanitation Committee in particular, and the Council in general for their encouragement and support during the year. To Councillor Mrs. J. M. B. Gibson, Chairman of the Health Committee, I would wish to add a special word of appreciation. I cannot end this report without recording my thanks to all members of the staff of the Health Department who have continued to give me such loyal support and I am sure that the closer contact attained by the re¬ organisation of office accommodation during 1952 will lead to even greater co-ordination of effort in future. I am, Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, MACDONALD A. CHARRETT, July, 1952. Medical Officer of Health,
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