UBAR 25 URBAN DISTRICT OF BARNET ANNUAL REPORT of the MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH to the BARNET URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL by ARTHUR L. HYATT, M.R.C.S.(Eng.), L.R.C.P. Together with the ANNUAL REPORT of the CHIEF PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTOR by JOHN B. WHISON, M.A.P.H.I., M.R.S.H. 1957. (2) BARNET URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL. MEDICAL OFFICER'S REPORT. Public Health Department, 31 Wood Street, Barnet. To the Chairman and Members of the Barnet Urban District Council. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have pleasure in presenting to you my Annual Report on the health of the district for the year 1957. It is drawn up in accordance with the directions of the Ministiy of Health Circular 1/58 of the 13th January, 1958. STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA. Area (in acres) 4,290 Population (1951 Census) 25,019 Registrar-General's Estimate of Resident Population, mid 1957 25,840 Number of Inhabited Houses 7,997 Rateable Value £466,573 Product of a Penny Rate £1,850 NATURAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS. The population is largely residential, and consists chiefly of people whose occupation lies outside the urban area. Those employed in the district, apart from the tradesmen and their employees, are mainly skilled workers in light industries. EXTRACT PROM VITAL AND MORTAL STATISTICS OP THE YEAR. Total. M. F. Live Births Legitimate 343 185 158 Iillegitimate 10 1 9 Birth Rate per 1.000 of the estimated resident papulation (standardised): 13.79 Total. M. F. Still Births Legitimate 8 "6 2 Illegitimate 1 1 Nil Still Birth Rate per 1.000 total (live and still) Births: 24.86 (3) Total. M. F. Deaths 259 120 139 Death Rate per 1 .000 of the estimated resident population (standardised): 10.02 Total. Deaths from Puerperal causes Nil Death Rate from Puerperal causes per 1 .000 total (live and still) Births: Nil Deaths of Infants under one year of age:- Total. M. F. Legitimate 10 5 5 Illegitimate Nil Nil Nil Death Rate of Infants under one year of age per 1.000 live Births: 28.33 Deaths of Infants under four weeks of age:- Total. M. F. Legitimate 5 1 Illegitimate Nil Nil Nil Death Rate of Infants under four weeks of age per 1.000 live Births: 16.99 Too muoh importance should not be paid to the rates where the actual number of cases is small, e.g. - below 10, as such rates are of little statistical significance. Thus, if an attempt is made to compare this area with other districts, or with previous years, it would be better to compare actual cases. GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE DISTRICT. The Council are not the appropriate Local Authority for the purpose of the National Health Service Act, 1946, and do not therefore control any of the Hospitals or ancillary services in the district. Within this district, and under the control of the Barnet Group Hospital Management Committee, are the following Barnet General Hospital, Wellhouse Lane, Barnet. 461 Beds. St, Stephen's Hospital, Mays Lane, Barnet. 88 Beds. (Female medical, Ear, Nose and Throat, and male long- stay cases) Victoria Maternity Hospital, Wood Street, Barnet. 59 Beds. "Elm Bank", Arkley. (Female long-stay cases) 27 Beds. The following is a list of Clinics etc. available in the district. Tuberculosis Clinics are held daily, by appointment, at Barnet Chest Clinic, Wellhouse Lane, Barnet. At Vale Drive the following Clinics are held during the school term. (4) A Clinic for Schoolchildren on the second and fourth Monday morning in each month, and a Clinic for Remedial Exercises every Monday afternoon. A speech therapy Clinic is held on Wednesdays and Fridays, Child Guidance Clinics on Thursdays, and an Eye Clinic on Wednesdays. An Infant Welfare Clinic is held every Tuesday afternoon all the year round and also on the first and third Fridays in each month. For the convenience of residents at Totteridge there is an Infant Welfare Clinic at "Dollisfield" every Friday afternoon. Dental Clinics are held daily at Vale Drive. The Family Planning Association hold sessions at Vale Drive each Wednesday between 6 and 7.30 p.m., and Thursday evenings by appointment. These Clinics are subject to alteration and it is advisable to enquire of the Vale Drive Clinic (BAR: 6194) for the current days and times. Home Help Service. The local office of the Herts County Council Home Help Service at 42 Lytton Road, New Barnet, is open daily from 9 - 1, Monday to Friday inclusive. PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF. Medical Officer of Health. ø x Arthur L. Hyatt, M.R.C.S.(Eng.), L.R.C.P. Chief Public Health Inspector. + ø John Baillie Wilson, M.A.P.H.I., M.R.S.H. Additional Public Health Inspectors. ø Howard W.C. Alloway, M.A.P.H.I., A.R.S.H. + ø // George A. Faulkner, M.A.P.H.I. (Resigned 15th June, 1957.) + ø Roy W. Pursglove, M.A.P.H.I. (Appointed 6th August, 1957.) One Clerk-Typist. One Rodent Operative. + Holds the special qualification as Inspector of Meat and other Foods under examination of the Royal Society of Health. // Holds the special qualification as Smoke Inspector under examination of the Royal Society of Health. ø Salary Contribution of one half from Exchequer Grants. x Part-time Officer. (5) WATER SUPPLY. The major area of the district is supplied with water from the mains of the Barnet District Water Company, and the remainder is served by the Colne Valley Water Company. All water supplied by the Barnet District Water Company is chlorinated. A pathological staff is maintained and the water is regularly tested at all stages. During the year, a total of 1 ,918 bacteriological and 255 chemical examinations of the water were made by the Company1 s own staff. 1 ,433 of these samples were representative of the supply, and,for the first time, 100% were found to be free from B.Coli. Fifty-nine samples representative of supply were submitted for independent analysis and all of these were found to be free from B.Coli. The Colne Valley Water Company exercises similar controls over its supplies. Five samples of water were taken by the Department, from the Barnet District Water Company's supply and submitted for analysis with satisfactory results in every case. The water supply to the whole district is considered adequate. One cottage only in the district is known not to be connected to mains water supply. DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE. The town is drained and sewered on the separate system, excepting the older portions of the district where it is a combined system. The sewage is conveyed to a Sewage Disposal works of 56 acres, where it is screened, grit removed in detritus tanks, thence to primary settlement tanks and thereafter distributed over three 80 ft. diameter bacteria filters, followed by humus removal in rectangular tanks before discharge to the Dollis Brook. Pumping is necessary for three sewers which have their outlets at a low point on the works. Part of the Totteridge area drains to the Finchley Borough sewers; in the outlying areas some properties are on cesspool drainage or domestic sewage disposal plants, and a few only have pail closets. (6) SANITARY CONDITIONS AND WATER SUPPLY OF SCHOOLS. There are in the district eleven schools administered by the South Herts Divisional Education Committee, viz:- Queen Elizabeth's Boys and Girls Grammar Schools; Ravenscroft Secondary Modem School; Foulds School (Junior Mixed and Infants); Christ Church School (Junior Mixed); The Elizabeth Allen Voluntary Secondary School; Grasvenor Infants School; Underhill School (Junior Mixed); Underhill Infants School; St. Catherine's Roman Catholic School and Whitings Hill School (Junior Mixed and Infants). The South Herts College of Further Education, Wood Street, Barnet, is available for Girls and Boys between the ages of 15 and 18 during the day and for persons of all ages in the evenings. All schools in the district are supplied with mains water and are connected to the Council's main drainage system. DISPOSAL OF HOUSE REFUSE. The house refuse is collected weekly in covered mechanical conveyances and taken to the Council's Sewage Farm, where it is loaded into Contractor's covered lorries and disposed of daily by controlled tipping outside the district. PREVALENCE OF AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS DISEASE. The following table shews the number of Notifications to the Sanitary Authority during the year, of each disease specified in the Public Health Act, 1936, and the various Infectious Disease Regulations, and the number of cases removed to Hospital. DISEASE NOTIFIED REMOVED TO HOSPITAL Scarlet Fever 5 Nil Whooping Cough 44 5 Diphtheria and Membranous Croup Nil Nil Measles 478 12 Acute Pneumonia 45 40 Meningococcal Infection 4 4 Acute Poliomyelitis (Paralytic) 10 9 (Non-Paralytic) 1 1 Acute Encephalitis (infective) 1 1 Dysentery 6 3 Ophthalmia Neonatorum Nil Nil Puerperal Pyrexia 30 30 Smallpox Nil Nil Malaria Nil Nil Typhoid and Enteric Fevers Nil Nil Paratyphoid Fever Nil Nil Food Poisoning 25 23 Erysipelas 5 1 Tuberculosis 14 7 TOTALS 668 136 (7) AGE INCIDENCE OP INFECTIOUS DISEASE. DISEASE NUMBER OF CASES NOTIFIED YEARS OF AGE 0- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 10- 15- 25- 45- 65- 75- Total Scarlet Fever - 1 - - 1 3 - - - - - - 5 Whooping Cough 7 4 7 2 4 19 1 - - - - - 44 Measles 11 37 55 55 264 15 2 1 1 - - 478 Acute Pneumonia - - - - - 4 1 5 6 17 7 5 45 Meningococcal Infection 1 - 1 1 - - 1 - - - - - 4 Acute Poliomyelitis (Paralytic) - - - - - 4 3 1 2 - - - 10 (Non-Paralytic) - - - - - - 1 - - - - - 1 Acute Encephalitis (infective) - - - - - - 1 - - - - - 1 Dysentery - - - 1 1 - 1 2 1 - - - 6 Puerperal Pyrexia - - - - - - 1 13 16 - - - 30 Food Poisoning 1 - - - - 1 - 3 5 13 2 - 25 Erysipelas - - - - - - - - 2 1 2 - 5 TOTALS 20 42 45 59 61 295 25 26 33 32 11 5 654 Of the foregoing, the following cases normally resident outside the district were notified from the Barnet General Hospital and the Victoria Maternity Hospital:- Whooping Cough 5; Measles 9; Acute Pneumonia 35; Meningococcal Infection 2; Infective Encephalitis 1; Dysentery 3; Puerperal Pyrexia 30; Pood Poisoning 18. Of the twenty-five cases of food poisoning only three cases were of persons not normally resident in this district and admitted to the hospital for the treatment of this condition. Nineteen cases occurred in one spontaneous outbreak in the local hospital following a particular meal. The causative organism was isolated in the raw food prior to cooking. It is a sporing organism now known to (8) be the cause of much food poisoning in the country. Its sporing characteristic does make it most important that food should be properly cooked and rapidly cooled if not eaten promptly. The reheating process on the subsequent day only serves to increase the population of the organism if all were not killed by the cooking process in the first instance. Diphtheria is still absent from the above list and one hopes that the state of immunisation of children will not deteriorate because of the lack of alarm or scares over outbreaks. There seems to be a growing interest in the poliomyelitis vaccination scheme despite the early setbacks. It is to be hoped that when the full supplies of vaccine are available the results of the vaccination will be as startling as that of the diphtheria immunisation scheme. The polio outbreak which occurred during the year was our first since the war. Although the source of infection of the original case was never fully proved all cases had a connection with one school. There were altogether fifteen suspected cases of which nine were confirmed. The usual precaution of isolating contacts was followed, and with the excellent co-operation and assistance received from the County Medical Officer and the School Authorities I am sure that we kept the outbreak to a minimum and generally maintained a sense of security in the parents during, what was for most of them, a very trying period. Two further isolated cases occurred later in the year, not connected with the major outbreak. It is most difficult to prove any source of infection with such individual cases. The cases of Tuberculosis removed for treatment are usually sent to Clare Hall Sanatorium, South Mimms, other patients with an infectious disease being sent to Coppett's Wood Hospital, Muswell Hill, N.10. INTERNAT IONAL VACCMATION CERTIFICATES. At the end of 1952 a new form was introduced for International Vaccination Certificates requiring authentication of the signature of the doctor performing vaccination or inoculation of persons proceeding overseas. During the year (9) two hundred and thirteen such certificates were authenticated and marked with the internationally agreed stamp. TUBERCULOSIS. NEW CASES AND MORTALITY DURING 1957. YEARS OF AGE NEW CASES DEATHS Pulmonary N on-Pulmonary Pulmonary Non-Pulmonary M F M F M F M F 0 - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - - 5 1 - - - - - - - 15 - 1 1 - - - - - 25 2 2 - - - - - - 35 2 1 - 1 - - - - 45 1 1 - - - - - - 55 - - - 1 - 1 - - 65 and over - - - - - - - - TOTAIS 6 5 1 2 - 1 - - Fourteen new cases were notified during the year making a total of two hundred and seven cases on the Tuberculosis Register, a reduction of one on last year's total. These figures continue the steady reduction in the number of new cases and of deaths from this disease during each year. PUBLIC HEALTH (PREVENTION OF TUBERCULOSIS) REGULATIONS. 1925. It has not been found necessary to take any action under the above Regulations, relating to Tuberculous employees in the Milk Trade. PUBLIC HEALTH ACT, 1936, SECTION 172, COMPULSORY REMOVAL TO HOSPITAL OF CASES OF PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS. No action was necessary under the above Section. (10) NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1948 - SECTION 47. NATIONAL ASSISTANCE (AHSNDMENT) ACT, 1951 - SECTION 1. Contact is maintained, with several aged persons in the district, but during this year no official action was necessary. Every effort is made to bring services to these people to enable them to stay in their own homes. MORTAL STATISTICS. Of 259 deaths, 10 occurred under one year of age. The following were the major causes of death:- Heart Disease 90; Cancer 47 (30 males and 17 females); Vascular Lesions of Nervous system 25; Bronchitis 13; Pneumonia 8; Tuberculosis 1; Suicide 2; Motor Vehicle accidents 3; Other accidents 6. MORTUARY ACCOMMODATION. Under arrangements made with the East Barnet Urban District Council their mortuary is available for the use of this district, and it was so used on ten occasions during the year. I am, Yours faithfully, ARTHUR L. HYATT M.R.C.S.(Eng.) , L.R.C.P. MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. (11) BARNET URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL. CHIEF PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTOR'S REPORT. Public Health Department, 31 Wood Street, Barnet. To the Chairman and Members of the Barnet Urban District Council. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the honour to present to you my Annual Report for the year 1957. Housing continues to occupy a fair proportion of the tine of the Department. With the coming into operation of the Rent Act 1957 more work is necessary in connection with the issue of Certificates of various types, although there has not been a great demand. The increase of rent permitted by this Act raises the values of houses and thus varies the estimates made in the Housing Survey of 1955. In. that survey one hundred and thirty-eight houses were considered to be unfit and could not be made fit at reasonable cost. Increased rents ,in many cases, now mean that what was unreasonable on earlier rents may now be reasonable. Repairs can now be demanded and housing accommodation saved. The new schedule of conditions attaching to Petroleum Storage Licences adopted by the Council came into operation at the beginning of this year, although this was perforce temporarily delayed due to petrol rationing following the Suez affair. The testing of underground storage tanks over twenty years of age is the main reason for the additional visits and time spent on this branch of our work. I wish to thank all officers of the Council and the staff of the Public Health Department in particular for their co-operation and help throughout the year. (12) INSPECTION OF DISTRICT. General inspections of the district have been carried out periodically and all complaints investigated. The process of serving a preliminary or intimation notice upon the person in default, specifying the works necessary to remedy the defects found, is usually followed. It was found necessary to ask your authority to serve ninety Statutory Notices, where persons failed to comply with the preliminary notice, or the strict legal procedure was necessary in the first instance. SANITARY INSPECTION OF AREA. The following is a list of the number and nature of visits and inspections:- Visits re: Housing Acts 794 Visits re: nuisance and sanitary defects 1,059 Visits re: infectious diseases 351 Visits re: Petroluem Acts 232 Visits re: factories 212 Visits re: outworkers' premises 7 Visits re: food manufactories, cafes etc. 361 Visits re: ice cream and sampling 206 Visits re: overcrowding 4 Visits re: aged and infirm persons 23 Visits to inspect meat and other foods 615 Visits re: schools 52 Visits re: pollution of watercourses 30 Visits re: Tents, Caravans and Sheds 35 Visits re: Shops Acts 37 Visits re: keeping of animals 18 Visits re: Rodent Infestation 2,442 Visits re: other infestations 94 Miscellaneous visits 120 NUMBER OF NOTICES SERVED DURING YEAR. Number of Informal Notices 151 Number of Statutory Notices 90 Informal Notices complied with 113 Statutory Notices complied with 99 (13) SANITARY WORK AND REPAIRS. The following is a list of repairs effected as a result of informal and foiroal notices served. Roofs repaired and made weatherproof 49 Gutters, downspouts repaired or renewed 53 Exterior brickwork repaired or repointed 102 Walls, dampness remedied 108 Chimney stacks and pots repaired or renewed 8 Yard surfaces repaired or repaved 13 Ceilings repaired or renewed 70 Wall plaster repaired or renewed 112 Walls and ceilings cleansed and decorated 141 Floors repaired or renewed 31 Staircases repaired 11 Doors and frames repaired or renewed 40 Windows repaired 132 Food Stores provided or ventilated 14 Fireplaces repaired or renewed 14 Drains and sewage disposal plants cleared 27 Drains and sewage disposal plants repaired or reconstructed 13 Inspection chambers repaired or reconstructed 3 Soil or vent pipes repaired or renewed 7 Gullies, channels and fenders repaired or renewed 5 Water Closet pans, fittings, repaired or renewed 19 Sinks, waste pipes, etc. , repaired or renewed 8 Storage cisterns, cleaned, repaired or renewed 11 Water services, repaired, renewed or re-instated 1 Dustbins renewed 17 Refuse accumulations removed 3 HOUSING. The Clearance Order made late in 1956 was confirmed during this year, there being no objections received, and in fact by the end of the year many of the occupants had been rehoused and eighteen houses either demolished or nearly so. Five houses were made the subject of Demolition Orders and a further three where Closing Orders we re made. Six houses were demolished as a result of Demolition Orders made in the previous year. Fourteen unfit houses were made fit by works carried out by the owners following notices served by the Council. The Public Health Acts have been used to remedy lesser defects in other houses. Little work under the Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954, was caused by the tenants' demands for Certificates of Disrepair, but the Rent Act, 1957, has resulted in twelve applications being ma.de for Certificates of Disrepair. (14) The procedure is a little more complicated under this later Act and, as a consequence, four Certificates were issued, and six undertakings,given "by landlords,accepted. Pour applications for cancellation of Certificates of Disrpeair were received and two Certificates cancelled. These figures do not necessarily add up because of the cany over from year to year. PUBLIC HEALTH ACT. 1956. INFECTIOUS DISEASE. INVESTIGATION AMD DISINFECTION. Investigations have been carried out of the more important cases of infectious disease listed in the Medical Officer of Health's Report and the number of visits shew an increase this year, due to the Poliomyelitis outbreak. Where necessary, premises are disinfected and bedding is taken for disinfection to the Bamet General Hospital under arrangements made with the Barnet Group Hospital Management Committee. Pour hundred and fifty-four libraxy books were disinfected before return to libraries, a considerable increase over previous years, due to the measles epidemic. POOD PREMISES IN THE DISTRICT. Number of Bakers 8 " " Butchers 13 " " Cafes, Restaurants, etc. 16 " Confectioners. 23 " " Fishmongers. 5 " " Greengrocers. 14 " " Grocers. 34 " " Licensed Premises. 28 " " Chemists. 9 FOOD PREMISES REGISTERED UNDER SECTION 16 OF FOOD AND DRUGS (a) Sale and Storage of Ice Cream 43 (b) Manufacture of sausages and preserved meats etc21 DAIRIES REGISTERED UNDER MILK AND DAIRIES REGULATIONS. 1949-1954. Number of Dairies 2 The number of visits this year has fallen back to a normal level following last year's increase to make all traders aware of the then new Regulations. (15) Infringements are rectified or remedied by informal action when pointed out to the trader. During our visits of inspection every oppiortunity is taken to discuss food hygiene with staff and management and to show what steps are necessary to comply with the regulations and to improve hygiene generally. Ceilings renewed or repaired 1 Wall plaster renewed or repaired 1 Walls and ceilings cleansed 2 Floors repaired 2 Yards and Gullies cleansed 2 Dustbins renewed 8 Hot water supplies provided 2 Handbasins provided 2 Accumulations removed 1 Fittings end utensils cleansed or renewed 3 SHOPS ACT , 1950. No formal action has been necessary under the provisions of this Act. Informal action has secured the provision of various notices required to be displayed regarding closing hours in "mixed" shops. It is to be hoped that sooner or later, some amendment of the Shops Acts will be forthcoming and that it will make more uniform the hours of closing for all trades. FOOD POISONING. Annual Return of Pood Poisoning Notifications. Food Poisoning Notifications (Corrected) Returned to Registrar General. 1st Quarter. 2nd Quarter. 3rd Quarter. 4th Quarter. Total. Deaths. 22 1 1 1 25 Nil Cases Otherwise Ascertained. 1st Quarter. 2nd Quarter. 3rd Quarter. 4th Quarter. Total. Deaths. Nil 1 Nil 2 3 Nil Comment on this return is made by the Medical Officer in his report. ICE CREAM. Fifty-five samples of ice cream were taken, from retailers in the district, during the year with results as shown overleaf which are considered satisfactory. (16) Manufactur. Grade I. Grade II. Grade. III. Grade IV. Total. A 24 - - - 24 B 21 - - - 21 D 5 2 - - 7 F 3 - - - 3 Total 53 2 - - 55 All samples of ice cream are taken to the Central Public Health Laboratory, Colindale, for testing by the Methylene Blue Test. One hundred and seven samples of ice cream and fifteen of ice lollies were-taken this year from the ice cream factory registered in the district. The general standard, indicated by the laboratory, should show some 50% of samples in Grade 1, 80% in Grades I and II, and not more than 20% in Grade III and none in Grade IV. The corresponding figures from samples we have taken, at all points of production are as follows:- 82.2%; 94.4% and 5.6%. These figures shew an improvement upon those of last year, particularly in view of the fact that although the last figure (5.6%) shews a slight increase, all the samples, namely six, were in Grade III and none in Grade IV as were some last year. There are now forty-three premises registered for the storage and sale of ice cream, after allowing for two new registrations effected during 1957, and two cancelled; one following closure of the premises and one following change of user. DAIRIES, COWSHEDS MP MILKSHOPS. The control of the production of milk is vested in the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Pood. The local authority is responsible for the inspection and registration of milk distributors and other daily premises not directly concerned with the actual production of milk, and for licensing for the sale of Designated Milks. (17) Twenty-six samples of milk have been taken, in course of delivery to the consumer, and submitted to the appropriate tests with the following results:- Designation Samples Taken Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Tuberculin Tested (Pasteurised) 4 4 Nil Tuberculin Tested (Farm Bottled) 4 2 2 Tubcrculin Tested (Farm Bottled) (Channel Islands) 3 3 Nil Pasteurised 10 10 Nil Pasteurised (Channel Islands) 4 4 Nil Sterilised 1 1 Nil TOTALS 26 24 2 The two unsatisfactory samples were notified to the County Milk Regulations Officer. No official action was taken under Regulation 20 of the Milk and Dairies Regulations 1949, to stop or restrict the sale of milk. No cases of disease were notified which could be attributed to the consumption of infected milk. Ten Dealer's Licences and twenty-one Supplementary Licences were granted for the retail sale of milk voider the Milk (Special Designation) (Raw Milk) Regulations, 1949 and 1950, and the Milk (Special Designation) (Pasteurised and Sterilised Milk) Regulations, 1949 and 1950, viz:- Designation. Dealer's Licences. Supplementary Licences. Tuberculin Tested. 3 7 Pasteurised. 3 7 Sterilised 4 7 FOOD AND DRUGS ACT. 1958. The Council acquired these powers under the Act concerning the adulteration and sophistication of food as from 1st October 1955. The summary overleaf contains the results of fifty-eight samples taken by this department. (18) Article No. Examined No. Adulterated Etc. Formal Informal Total Formal informal Total Almonda, Ground 1 1 - - - Angelica, Drained - 1 1 - - - Arrowroot, Ground - 1 1 - - - Batter Mix Complete - 1 1 - - Butter - 1 1 - - - Celery Salt - 1 1 - - - Cheese Spread with Ham and Onion _ 1 1 _ - - Chicken, Chopped - 1 1 - - - Coffee - 1 1 - - - Coffee and Chicory Essence - 1 - - - Cream - 2 2 - - - Cream Sandwich Truffle "" 1 1 - - - Dates _ 1 1 - - - Prig-ice - 1 1 - - - Ham Roll, Chicken Centre - 1 1 )- - - Ice Cream 2 _ 2 - - - Jam, Cherry - 1 1 - - - Luncheon Meat - 1 1 - - - Margarine - 1 1 - - - Marzipan Animals - 1 1 - - - Meat Pudding - 1 1 "" - - Megg - 1 1 _ - - Milk 19 - 19 - - - Milk Bottle, Empty - 1 1 - 1 1 Mint in Vinegar - 1 1 - - - Pineapple Rings - 1 1 _ - - Pork Kidneys, Chopped Braised - 1 1 - - - Sauce - 1 1 - - - Sea Salmon in Oil - 1 1 - 1 1 Soup, Cream of Tomato - 1 1 - - - Spirit of Sal Volatile - 2 2 - - - Sugar - 2 2 - - - Sultanas - 1 1 - - - Sunny Spread - 1 1 - - - Tomato Puree, Condensed - 1 1 "* - - Two Fruits, Peaches and Pears _ 1 1 - - - Total 21 37 58 - 2 2 Both unsatisfactory samples were reported to the Council. Milk Bottle. There was a small deposit of greyish matter at the bottom of the "bottle. Upon examination this was found to "be cement which was firmly adhering to the bottle. The Company was sent a warning letter. Sea Salmon in Oil. This was an attractive transparent pack the contents of which consisted of slices of saithe, coloured with a dye and packed in oil. Sea Salmon is not a recognised synonym for saithe in this Country. (19) The retail shop withdrew the item from sale forthwith upon, being requested. At least one other authority had this matter in hand and the importers eventually arranged for all further importations to be labelled with the words "Sea Salmon" omitted. MERCHANDISE MARKS ACT. 1926. The Council became the authority for enforcing the provisions of these Acts and Orders made thereunder when they were designated a Food and Drugs Authority. During the year one verbal warning was given to a retailer for failing to properly label imported food. MEAT MP FOOD CONDEMNED. The following is a list of the articles of food condemned as unfit fo human consumption during the year. Meat. Fresh Meat. Canned Meat. Beef (English) 101 lbs. Ham 14 lbs. Ox Liver 20 lbs. Corned Beef 18½lbs. Pigs Kidneys 43 lbs. Luncheon Meat 10 lbs. Pork Sausages 7 lbs. Steak 1 lb. Beef Sausages 4 lbs. Jellied Veal 6 lbs. Pork Pies 2. Tongue 21 lbs. Liver 20 lbs. General. Walnuts 2 lbs. Vegetables 42 Tins Peanut Butter 12 Jars Fruit 291 Tins Fish 8 Tins Milk 24 Tins Paste 1 Tin Cream 5 Tins Pickles 3 Tins Jam and Marmalade 5 Tins Soup 2 Tins Condemned food is taken to the disposal point on the Sewage Farm, where tins are thoroughly perforated and loose food is stained and mixed with household refuse before onward transmission to the controlled tip outside the district. PRIVATE SLAUGHTERHOUSES AND SLAUGHTER OF ANIMALS ACT. 1953. There is only one slaughterhouse, privately owned, operating in the district and your inspectors maintain a high percentage of inspection by evening and weekend visits. (20) Slaughtering is carried on six days per week, the sole exception being Friday, and the general system with regard to the timing of slaughtering is that adult Bovines are slaughtered early in the day's work, proceeding to the "smalls" and in this latter category, calves are usually left until last. This accounts for the 100^ inspection of Cattle and Cows, shown in the following table, and the lower percentage of inspection for calves, despite evening and week-end visits. However, good co-operation exists between your inspectors and the owner and his slaughtermen who retain for our inspection on the following day any carcase presenting signs of disease or injury. The majority of the condemned meat and offals is taken away by a reputable firm for manufacture into useful by-products, e.g. fertilisers etc. Total weight of carcase meat condemned 8,627 lbs. Total weight of offals condemned 8,989 lbs. CARCASES AND OFFAL INSPECTED AND CONDEMNED IN WHOLE OR IN PART. Cattle Excluding Cows I Cows Calves Sheep and Lambs Pigs Number killed (if known) 835 579 5,256 2,437 4,861 Number inspected 835 579 3,192 2,223 4,021 All diseases except Tuberculosis and Cysticerci Whole carcases condemned 1 2 6 3 3 Carcases of which some part or organ was condemned 149 223 8 43 123 Percentage of the number inspected affected with disease other than tuberculosis and cysticerci 17.96 38.86 0.44 2.07 3.13 Tuberculosis only: Whole carcases condemned 4 4 1 - 2 Carcases of which some part or organ was condemned 19 105 4 - 96 Percentage of the number inspected affected with tuberculosis 2.76 18.82 0.16 0.00 2.44 Cysticercosis: Carcases of which some part or organ was condemned 1 - - - - Carcases submitted to treatment by refrigeration 1 - - - - Generalised and totally condemned - - - - - (21) The Council acts as agent for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Pood in the matter of Deadweight Certification of Pigs. During the year your inspectors have issued 21+3 certificates covering 1 ,232 pigs. For this service the Council receives from the Ministry 6d per pig certified, with a minimum of 3/- per certificate. There were thirteen persons licensed by the Council as fit persons to slaughter animals, most of them work part or full time as slaughtermen at the local slaughterhouse. No complaint has been received from other districts concerning the conduct of any of these men, nor was there any need for adverse report on the men locally employed. DRAINAGE. Supervision was given by the department to the repairing of a combined drain where the work was carried out by the Council and the expenses apportioned between the owners. Apart from the normal repair jobs to drainage systems the department is responsible for the approval and supervision of construction of domestic sewage disposal plants in the unsewered areas of the district and in this connection three new houses were constructed with sewage disposal plants. REPORT REQUIRED BY SECTION 128 (3) OP THE FACTORIES ACT. 1937. Inspection for purposes of provision as to health. Number on Register. Number of Inspections. Written Notices. Occupiers Prosecuted. (l) Factories in which Sees. 1 ,2,3, 1+ and 6 are to be enforced by Local Authorities. 9 18 - - (2) Factories not included in (1) in which Sec. 7 is enforced by the Local Authority. 89 186 - - (3) Other premises in which Sec. 7 is enforced by the Local Authority. 10 8 - - Total 108 212 - - (22) Outworkers (Sections 110 and 111). Section 110. Section 111. No. of outworkers on lists received. I No. of instances of work I in unwholesome premises. Notices Served. 103 - - Twenty-four outworkers reside in the district. Seven premises were visited and home conditions were found to "be entirely satisfactory. The names and addresses of the other outworkers are notified to.the district councils in which they live. Eight new certificates and two amended certificates as to adequate means of escape in case of fire were issued under section 34 of the Act during the year? in some cases, after necessary works were carried out. HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL ACT. 1935. Provision is made in this Act for the conduct and regulation of:- (1) Tents, Caravans and Sheds; (2) Hairdressers' and Barbers' Premises; (3) Swimming Baths and Pools, and (4) Employment Agencies. Tents. Caravans and Sheds. The vans attending the Barnet Pair were visited to enquire as to any infectious diseases and as to their sanitary condition. The provision of temporary sanitary accommodation was required in different sections of the fair for the use of the caravanners and public, and regular removal of refuse was arranged. Hairdressers' and Barbers' Premises. There are fourteen such establishments in the district. No complaints were received concerning their cleanliness nor were any serious breaches of the Council's Bye-laws, noted during inspections of such premises. Public Swimming Baths and Bathing Pools. The only swimming pool in the district, viz, at "The Barn", Barnet Bye-Pass, is not now in use. (23) At the request of the County Council two premises were inspected in connection with applications inside for use as Employment Agencies, and a report forwarded to the County Council. HOME COUNTIES (MUSIC AND DANCING)LICENSING ACT. 1926. HSRTFORDSHIBE (MUSIC AMTDANCING) REGULATIONS , 1956." Under the new regulations made by the County Council a report from the local district council is required regarding the suitability and sufficiency of sanitary arrangements at premises for Music and Dancing before licences are issued. No report has been requested during this year. RODENT CONTROL. Prevention of Damage by Pests Act. 1949. A full time rodent operator is employed for treatment of infestations of rats and mice. The table below gives details of the work carried out during the year:- Type of Property Local Authority .Dwelling AgriHouses cultural All otner including Business Premises) Total Number of Properties inspected as a result of: (a) Notification 3 139 40 182 (b) Survey under the Act 4 146 11 78 239 (c) Otherwise - 8 3 10 21 Total inspections carried out including re-inspections 17 437 24 184 662 Number of properties found to be infested by:- (a) Rats Major 1 — — 3 4 Minor 3 71 - 21 98 (b) Mice Major - - - 4 4 Minor 3 107 - 16 126 Number of Properties treated by the Local Authority 7 178 3 44 232 Total treatments carried out including re-treatments 14 226 5 75 320 Number of "Block" control schemes carried out 38 One informal notice was served, to remove an accumulation of rubbish, and this was complied with. (24) A test bait is made of 1 Cffo of the soil sewer manholes in the district, from the results of which are based the two maintenance treatments of the sewers required by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as one of the conditions under which the Ministry pay 50% of the Council's rodent control expenses. The test bait in April resulted in five complete "takes" and no partial "takes" of bait out of one hundred and one manholes baited. In the maintenance treatment carried out during May, thirty-six manholes were baited resulting in twelve "takes" and in November, forty-one were baited with thirteen "takes". These results show an increase on the previous two years, but there is no reason to believe that our methods are failing. In fact, due to the vigilance of your Rodent Operator, defects in two drainag© systems were found which permitted rats to get into and out of the sewer system. These defects were remedied and it is to be hoped that infestations will not now recur in those sewers. No charge is made for the use of the Rodent Operator's services in treating private domestic premises, provided that the occupiers co-operate in carrying out their duties under the Act. The cost of treatments at all other premises is recoverable. OTHER INFESTATIONS. Members of the public seem more concerned with infestations of all kinds of insects than previously and advice was given in respect of ninety-eight infestations of a wide variety of insects and animals, e.g. wasps, various beetles, ants, cockroaches, fleas, foxes, etc. In this work we are assisted by the identification services of the British Museum (Natural History Section) , the staff of which have on several occasions given a prompt answer to our enquiries. Small quantities of liquid or powder insecticides are distributed and in a few cases your Inspectors assist in the work of disinfesting by the loan of a power sprayer. In October, the Council resolved that a charge of 2/6d should be made for the destruction of wasps nests. (25) PET ANIMAL5 ACT . 1951 This Act gives the local Authority, inter alia, power to g rant licences to persons to keep pet shops for the sale of pet animals and to attach to the licences conditions concerning the cleanliness and general management of the premises; there are five persons licensed in the district. No complaints were received nor were any major contraventions of the conditions observed during visits of inspection. RAG FLOCK ACT, 1951. This Act controls the use of filling materials in the making of upholstery. The premises of one furniture manufacturer are registered under the Act. HEATING APPLIANCES (FIREGUARDS) ACT. 1952. This Act and the Regulations made thereunder came into operation on the 1st October 1953, after which date it became an offence to manufacture a heating appliance which does not comply with the requisite standards. No contraventions were found, this year, of the standards set by the Act and Regulations for fireguards on heating appliances. PETROLEUM (REGULATION) ACTS. 1928 AND 1936. One licence for storage of petroleum in an underground tank was discontinued daring the year leaving thirty-four persons on the Register. One licence was increased by 2,000 gallons following the installation of an additional tank. The total quantity of petroleum spirit and mixtures which may be kept on these licensed premises is 38,385 gallons. The Council adopted new Conditions attaching to licences in September 1956, in anticipation of the Working Party's report because of a defect appearing in a tank at a filling station in that year. These conditions wsre modified slightly to come into line with the Working Party1s report when it was published in 1957. The actual date of the coming into operation of these conditions, involving the testing of tanks and pipe lines, was fixed for the 1st January 1957, (26) "but had to "be postponed owing to difficulties with petrol rationing which was inposed following the Suez affair. During the year one tank was found to "be defective and as a result the licensee decided not to renew the licence, as mentioned previously. Other minor defects, e.g. in pipelines, have been remedied and the licences renewed. I am, Yours obediently, J. B. Wilson. Chief Public Health Inspector.