AC 4412(D) CHI 35 CHISLEHURST AND SIDCUP URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH'S Annual Report on the HEALTH OF THE URBAN DISTRICT, 1963 H. B. C. CARTER-LOCKE, M.B., B.S., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., D.P.H. Medical Officer of Health Telephone: RAVensbourne 4623. Offices: MANOR HOUSE, SIDCUP, KENT. Telephone: FOOtscray 3300 CHISLEHURST AND SIDCUP URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH'S Annual Report on the HEALTH OF THE URBAN DISTRICT, 1963 H. B. C. CARTER-LOCKE, M.B., B.S., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., D.P.H. Medical Officer of Health Telephone: RAVensbourne 4623. Offices: MANOR HOUSE, SIDCUP, KENT. Telephone: FOOtscray 3300 3 CONTENTS. Page Members of the Urban District Council 5 Staff 5 Prefatory Letter 7 Section A. Vital and Other Statistics and Social Conditions of the Area. General Statistics 12 Vital Statistics 12 Births 13 Deaths 16 Medical Examinations 17 Morbidity Statistics 16 Open Air Recreational Amenities 17 Population 13 Unemployment 17 Section B. General Provision of Health Services for the Area. Ambulance Service 28 British Red Cross Society 31 Chiropody Service 28 Clinics, etc. 29 Disinfection 22 District Nursing Service 29 Domestic Help Service 28 Domiciliary Midwifery 29 Health Visiting 29 Hospital Services 25 Laboratory Service 24 National Assistance Act, 1948 24 Nursing Homes 25 Old People's Welfare Committee 33 Public Conveniences 22 Public Mortuary 25 St. John Ambulance Brigade 32 Women's Voluntary Service 32 Section C. Sanitary and Environmental Circumstances of the Area. Agriculture (Safety, Health and Welfare Provisions) Act, 1956 36 Cesspools 36 Clean Air Act, 1956 48 Diseases of Animals (Waste Foods) Order, 1957 37 Drainage and Sewerage 37 Factories Act, 1961 37 Game Act, 1831 38 Heating Appliances (Fireguards) Act, 1952 39 Pet Animals Act, 1951 39 Petroleum (Regulation) Acts, 1928 and 1936 39 Public Cleansing, Refuse Collection and Disposal 40 Rag Flock and Other Filling Materials Act, 1951 44 Riding Establishments Act, 1939 44 Rivers and Streams 44 Rodent Control 45 Sanitary Inspection of the Area 47 4 Page Shops Act, 1950 47 Swimming Baths 59 Verminous Conditions and Uncleanliness 59 Water Supply 59 Section D. Housing. Common Lodging Houses 68 Housing Inspections 64 Improvement Grants 65 Moveable Dwellings 67 New Houses 66 Re-housing 66 Rent Act, 1957 66 Slum Clearance 65 Section E. Inspection and Supervision of Foods. Bacteriological Examinations 76 Food & Drugs Act, 1955. Section 16 75 Food & Drugs Act, 1955. Food Sampling 71 Food Complaints 70 Food Hygiene Regulations 70 Food Premises 75 Ice Cream 76 Meat Inspection 75 Piggeries 77 Unsound Food 74 Section F. Prevalence of, and Control Over Infectious and Other Diseases Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis and Vaccination 81 Diphtheria and Diphtheria Immunisation 81 Dysentery 81 Food Poisoning 82 General Remarks 80 Measles 83 Meningococcal Infections 83 Other Infectious Diseases 87 Pneumonia 83 Scarlet Fever 84 Smallpox and Vaccination 84 Tuberculosis and Mass X-Ray 84 Tuberculosis Care Committee 86 Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever 86 Whooping Cough 86 STATISTICAL TABLES. Table 1.—Summary of Statistics 91 II.—Causes of Death 92 III.—Notifiable Infectious Diseases—Sex and Age Distribution 93 IV.—Notifiable Infectious Diseases—Seasonal Incidence 94 V.—Sanitary Inspection of the Area 95 5 MEMBERS OF THE URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL (as at 31.12.63) Chairman: *Miss B. H. JAMES, J.P., C.C. Vice-Chairman: *E. J. READER Councillors: *F. Ambrose. (Chairman of P.H. Committee) *M. J. Attewell F. W. Bacon *A. G. Bedford Mrs. E. G. Beecher-Bryant *C. J. Christopher, C.C. D. I. Evans, T.D. F. H. Farmer J. R. Giles R. Goss H. A. Grist Mrs. A. L. Gunn, J.P. *J. A. Harris, B.E.M. A. W. Higgins, M.B.E., M.C., T.D. Mrs. O. L. Hinxman *A. T. J. Marsh, L.Ch., H.Ch.D. (Vice-Chairman of P.H. Com.) *J. McHendry *R. V. Plant *R. Pope Miss E. E. Rhodes D. W. Ryan. R. A. Sanderson, J.P. L. H. Sandford *Mrs. E. H. Schuch J. W. Schuch G. H. Scobie *J. P. Sheridan, A.M.I.E.I. *Mrs. E. M. Swift *H. Taylor G. Twyford, F.A.L.P.A. E. W. White (*denotes members of the Public Health Committee.) STAFF OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT Medical Officer of Health: (Town Hall, Bromley, Kent. Tele.: Rav. 4623) H. B. C. CARTER-LOCKE, m.b., b.s„ m.r.c.s., l.r.c.p., d.p.h. (Also Medical Officer of Health for the Borough of Bromley, and Orpington Urban District Council.) Deputy Medical Officer of Health: A. J. I. KELYNACK, m.b., b.s., d.p.h. (Also Deputy Medical Officer of Health for the Borough of Bromley, and Orpington Urban District Council.) Chief Public Health Inspector, Chief Food & Drugs Act Inspector, Inspector under the Petroleum Acts, Shops Act, Rag Flock & Other Filling Materials Act, Pet Animals Act, Heating Appliances (Fireguards) Act, and Agriculture (Safety, Health and Welfare Provisions) Act: J. C. KERMODE, m.r.s.h., m.a.p.h.i. (Manor House, The Green, Sidcup. Tel.: Foots Cray 3300) Deputy Chief Public Health Inspector: E. C. BERWICK, c.r.s.h., m.a.p.h.i. 6 Public Health Inspectors: K. W. FINCH, a.r.s.h., m.a.p.h.i. J. W. P. HARRIS, c.r.s.h., m.a.p.h.i. E. J. WEBBER, c.r.s.h., m.a.p.h.i. Note—All Public Health Inspectors are Inspectors under the Food and Drugs Act. Rag Flock and Other Filling Materials Act, Pet Animals Act, Heating Appliances (Fireguards) Act, and the Agriculture (Safety, Health and Welfare Provisions) Act. Student Public Health Inspector: M. D. BARRETT CLERICAL STAFF. Chief Clerk: A. F. OUGHTON Miss C. DEVONSHIRE Mrs. A. M. AMOS (resigned 13.4.63) Mrs. V. A. ALLAN (commenced 16.4.63) OUTDOOR STAFF. R. A. RATCLIFFE (Chief Disinfector, Mortuary Keeper, Drain Clearer and General Handyman.) J. DAVIS (Assistant to Disinfector.) A. NEWMAN (Rodent operative) 7 To the Chairman and Members of the Chislehurst and Sidcup Urban District Council. Madam Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, This survey of the work of the Public Health Department during 1963 is written at a time of upheaval in London's Local Government. In addressing the report to the Chairman and Members of the Chislehurst and Sidcup Urban District Council, I am at once conscious of a feeling of regret that this is probably the last annual report that I shall have the honour to present to the Council, which, it now seems certain, will no longer be in existence when the report for 1964 is completed. The processes of growth and change which brought the Urban District into being in April 1934, have now conspired to bring about its dissolution, after a comparatively short life of 31 years, in the course of which it had weathered many storms, including one global conflict. In the field of Public Health these years have seen remarkable progress, and the Council can look with pride on its own record of achievement which will have laid the foundations on which the future health of the district will be built. This is an appropriate opportunity to glance back over the three decades and recall the advances that have taken place during these years. Outstanding has been the improvement in infant mortality, which has been cut by more than half since 1934, and the improvement in child health in general. This, in turn, is linked with the dramatic decline in the more serious infectious diseases. Diphtheria which was responsible in 1935 for 60 cases and three deaths, has not occurred in the district since 1954; Scarlet Fever has lost the virulence which once made it so greatly feared; and the challenge of anterior poliomyelitis in the post-war years now seems to have been successfully met and overcome. Tuberculosis, which in 1935 was the fourth largest cause of death in the district, has shown a similarly gratifying decline. In the field of hygiene, the bed bug, which was reported in some 140 premises in 1935, is now unlikely to be seen by the general public outside a Natural History Museum! All dwelling houses in the district now receive a piped water supply from the mains, and the number of cesspools in use has been considerably reduced, though not eliminated. Much patient, and I believe, profitable work has been carried out to raise the standards of food hygiene generally, and in particular that of the premises in which food is handled; and in the last years an attack has been launched on the pollution of the atmosphere which has for too long been a source of grime and dirt to plague the housewife, as well as a 8 serious cause of respiratory illness. Efforts are also being made to eradicate what might be described as the last great hygienic anachronism of the mid-twentieth century, namely the number of households—well over 1,000 even in a progressive area such as this—which still lack the amenity of a proper fixed bath. It is hoped that many property owners will, for their own or their tenants benefit, consider taking advantage of the improvement grants which would, in many instances, assist them to add this amenity to their premises. It is also appropriate at this time to look toward the future and survey some of the questions which will challenge the attention of the new Borough authority, bearing in mind the wider responsibilities of this body which in the field of Health will include not only the existing environmental work, but also those personal and domiciliary health services at present provided in the area by the Kent County Council, such as health visiting, home nursing and midwifery, and domestic help, but excepting the ambulance service which will be operated by the Greater London Council. The Council's task will be to maintain, and build on the foundations of, the present services. Those whose main interests lie in the environmental services, should not fear that these will be completely overshadowed by the newly acquired functions. Recent experience has shown again that the prevention and control of epidemic disease remains at least as important as any other function of the health department, and has also demonstrated that this can only rest on a basis of sound community hygiene. In the tightly-knit urban community of today, the consequences of a single breakdown of this hygienic barrier against disease can be incalculable. Turning to the personal services, it has recently been said that the real problems of to-day lie in the care of the mentally ill and of the elderly, and to this one might add, the task facing the health educator in his efforts to foster healthy habits of living in a somewhat self-indulgent society. The welfare of elderly people is one of many fields where statutory and voluntary bodies can work in co-operation to render a more effective service. Mention must be made of the high quality of local voluntary work, which has many distinguished and pioneering achievements to its credit, including the successful boarding-out scheme for the elderly. Turning to the statistical side of the report, the birthrate followed the national upward trend, though at a respectful distance. It was however, the highest rate recorded in the district since 1948. The infant mortality rate also followed the national 9 downward trend, this time, I am glad to say, leading the way. It is not surprising that the arctic weather conditions experienced in the early part of the year were reflected in unusually high sickness figures during this quarter, and also in the small increase in the general death rate, though the latter was much less than might have been anticipated. An apparent improvement in the mortality from lung cancer, and increase in mortality from other forms of cancer, are likely to prove to be chance statistical fluctuations, rather than indicative of any trend. Certainly no improvement in the lung cancer situation can be anticipated unless the nation's smoking habits undergo a drastic change, a view which has gained further support during the year by the publication of the comprehensive study undertaken for the American Government. In the preparation of the annual report one is always conscious of the assistance one receives from others, and once again this year I have to express my gratitude to Mr. Kermode, the Chief Public Health Inspector, for the very major part he has played in its production. I should like to thank him and my deputy Dr. Kelynack for their loyal and efficient service during an exceptionally busy year. My thanks are also due to the Inspectors, Office staff, and Outdoor staff for their sustained efforts throughout the year, which have achieved the vast amount of work which forms the subject matter of much of the body of this report. Lastly, but by no means least, I should like to thank the Chairman and Members of the Public Health Committee for their kindness and thoughtfulness to me during the nine years in which I have endeavoured to serve them as their Medical Officer of Health, and for the interest they have consistently shown in all matters affecting local health. I am, Your obedient Servant, H. B. C. CARTER-LOCKE, Medical Officer of Health SECTION A. VITAL AND OTHER STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA. 12 SECTION A. VITAL AND OTHER STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA. General Statistics. Area of the Urban District (in acres) 8,957 Area of Parks, Open Spaces, etc. (in acres) 508.16 Registrar General's estimate of total population (mid-year) 1963 89,130 Rateable value at 31st March, 1964 £4,002,385 Rate in the Pound, 1963/4 9/2 Product of a Penny Rate for the year ended 31st March, 1964 £5,708 Number of Valuation assessments as at 31st March, 1963: — Houses and Flats 27,266 Houses, Agricultural 73 Houses and Shops (assessed together) 302 Other Shops, etc. 568 Other Commercial Premises 1,502 Industrial Premises 77 Crown Properties 39 Entertainment & Recreational Premises 155 Miscellaneous 310 30,292 Mileage of Roads as at 31st December, 1963: — County Roads, Class I (including Trunk Roads) 21.42 Country Roads, Class II 4.30 County Roads, Class III 6.12 District Roads 83.27 Unadopted Roads 8.00 Vital Statistics. Live Births. Males. Females. Total. Legitimate 732 655 1,387 Illegitimate 34 22 56 766 677 1,443 Crude birth rate per 1,000 estimated total population 16.2 Adjusted birth rate for comparison with other areas 16.5 (The area comparability factor for births is 1.02.) Birth rate for England and Wales 18.2 Stillbirths. Males. Females. Total. Legitimate 13 11 24 Illegitimate 2 1 3 15 12 27 Stillbirth rate per 1,000 live and still births 18.4 Stillbirth rate per 1,000 estimated total population 0.3 Stillbirth rate for England and Wales 17.3 13 Total Births (Live and Still). Males. Females. Total. Legitimate 745 666 1,411 Illegitimate 36 23 59 781 689 1,470 Infant Mortality. Males. Females. Total. Legitimate 19 8 27 Illegitimate 1 — 1 20 8 28 Infant mortality rate per 1,000 total live births 19.4 Legitimate infant deaths per 1,000 live legitimate births 19.5 Illegitimate infant deaths per 1,000 live illegitimate births 17.8 Neo-natal mortality rate (deaths under four weeks per 1,000 total live births) 11.8 Early Neo-natal mortality rate (deaths under 1 week per 1,000 total live births) 9.7 Perinatal mortality rate (stillbirths and deaths under 1 week combined, per 1,000 total live and still births) 27.9 Infant mortality rate for England and Wales 20.9 Maternal Mortality. Maternal deaths (including abortion) 2 Maternal mortality rate per 1,000 total live and still births 1.36 Maternal mortality rate for England and Wales 0.28 Deaths. Males. Females. Total. 466 486 952 Crude death rate per 1,000 estimated total population 10.7 Adjusted rate for comparison with other areas 12.6 (The area comparability factor for deaths is 1.18) Death rate for England and Wales 12.2 POPULATION. The Registrar General's estimate of the total population of the Urban District, mid-year 1963, is 89,130 which is an increase of 570 over the figure for the previous year. This population figure gives a density of 9.95 persons to the acre. The natural increase in population, measured by excess of births over deaths was 491. BIRTHS. 1,443 live births appertaining to the area were registered during 1963, of which 766 were males and 677 females. 1,387 of these births were legitimate and 56 illegitimate. The crude birth rate 14 for the Urban District was 16.2 per 1,000 total population, which is an increase of 0.9 over the rate for the previous year. The adjusted rate for use when comparing one area with another was 16.5. The rate for England and Wales as a whole was 18.2. The illegitimate birth rate was 40.1 per 1,000 live and still births, or 3.9% of the total live births. Of the 56 illegitimate live births, 34 were males and 22 females. There were 6 more illegitimate live births in 1963 than in 1962. 27 stillbirths were registered, giving a rate of 18.4 per 1,000 live and still births, and 0.3 per 1,000 total population. 15 of the stillbirths were males and 12 females. The stillbirth rate for England and Wales as a whole was 17.3 per 1,000 total births. POPULATION, BIRTH, DEATH, INFANT AND MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES, 1934-1963 Year Estimated Population Birth rate per 1,000 Death rate i population Infant Mortality Maternal Mortality rate per 1.000 live births total births 1934 44,200 16.7 8.6 46 2.8 1935 47.690 16.9 8.7 63 1.2 1936 54,300 15.8 8.3 53 4.49 1937 58,670 16.9 8.7 47 6.84 1938 61,750 16.8 8.5 36 1.88 1939 63,160 18.0 9.5 42 2.82 1940 63,650 15.9 10.3 44 0.94 1941 60,610 14.6 11.4 52 3.48 1942 60,400 18.1 9.7 38 4.3 1943 60,130 17.8 10.0 36 Nil 1944 57,470 20.0 10.7 26 0.8 1945 59,170 17.5 10.1 32 1.8 1946 67,870 20.8 9.4 24 0.6 1947 70,580 20.9 8.9 29 0.6 1948 72,750 16.4 9.1 16.7 2.5 1949 73,850 15.8 7.9 19 2.6 1950 80,040 15.0 8.5 23.3 Nil 1951 85,150 16.1 8.9 23.3 2.8 1952 85,130 15.1 8.7 19.5 1.5 1953 85,290 15.1 8.6 24 Nil 1954 85,830 15.3 7.9 18.2 Nil 1955 86,870 15.8 8.6 24.8 0.72 1956 87,300 14.2 7.7 24.12 Nil 1957 87,790 14.0 8.3 16.3 Nil 1958 88,540 15.2 8.5 20.9 Nil 1959 89,020 14.3 8.6 19.7 Nil 1960 89,750 14.8 7.8 17.3 0.7 1961 87,480 14.7 9.1 21.8 Nil 1962 88,560 15.3 9.5 20.6 Nil 1963 89,130 16.2 10.7 19.4 1.36 15 INFANT MORTALITY There were 28 deaths of infants under one year of age in 1963, the same as in the previous year. The infant mortality rate for the year was 19.4 per 1,000 total live births, which is slightly lower than the rate of 20.9 for the country as a whole. The table which follows gives the Chislehurst and Sidcup mortality rate for legitimate and illegitimate infants, as well as for all infants, and also shows the comparison between the infant mortality rate in the Urban District and that of England and Wales during the past 10 years. Year Legitimate Infants Rate per 1,000 live legitimate births Illegitimate Infants Rate per 1,000 live illegitimate births All Infants Rate per 1,000 live births Chislehurst & Sidcup England & Wales 1954 18.8 Nil 18.2 25.5 1955 24.2 44.4 24.8 24.9 1956 22.5 68.18 24.12 23.8 1957 16.8 Nil 16.3 23.0 1958 19.4 55.6 20.9 22.5 1959 19.67 19.6 19.7 22.0 1960 18.0 Nil 17.3 21.7 1961 21.8 21.3 21.8 21.4 1962 19.9 40.0 20.6 21.4 1963 19.5 17.8 19.4 20.9 Causes of Infant Deaths, 1963: Causes of Death Under 1 week 1 and under 2 weeks 2 and under 3 weeks 3 and under 4 weeks Total under 4 weeks 1 month and under 3 months 3 months and under 6 months 6 months and under 9 months 9 months and under 12 months Total deaths under 1 year Atelectasis 1 - - - 1 - - - - 1 Congenital Heart Disease 2 1 1 - 4 - — — 2 6 Acute Cardiac Failure 2 - - - 2 1 — - — 3 Prematurity 9 - — — 9 — — - — 9 Respiratory Diseases — - — — — 3 1 - 1 5 Other Causes — — 1 — 1 — 1 2 — 4 TOTALS 14 1 2 - 17 4 2 2 3 28 MATERNAL MORTALITY There were two maternal deaths in the Urban District in 1963, giving a maternal mortality rate of 1.36 per 1,000 live and still births. The rate for England and Wales as a whole was 0.28 per 1,000 live and still births. 16 DEATHS. 952 deaths appertaining to the Urban District were registered during the year, giving a death rate of 10.7 per 1,000 total population. The adjusted rate for use when comparing one area with another was 12.6 The rate for England and Wales as a whole was 12.2. Of the Chislehurst and Sidcup deaths registered, 466 were males and 486 females. The following is an analysis of the ages at death for the year 1963: — Males Females 28 were under 1 year of age 20 8 5 were one and under 5 years of age 2 3 4 were 5 and under 15 years of age 4 — 11 were 15 and under 25 years of age 8 3 52 were 25 and under 45 years of age 22 30 217 were 45 and under 65 years of age 141 76 217 were 65 and under 75 years of age 121 96 418 were 75 years of age and over 148 270 952 466 486 Full details of the causes of death will be found in Table 11 in the appendix to this report, but the following table, giving details of certain causes of death in the Urban District during the past ten years, may prove of interest:— 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 Cancer of the lung, bronchus 36 44 31 34 41 42 34 33 52 42 Cancer (all sites) 149 157 127 151 156 179 140 154 154 183 Respiratory Diseases (Non T.B.) 73 87 88 99 96 103 70 95 126 161 Tuberculosis 14 7 11 8 10 6 4 6 3 7 Heart and Circulatory diseases 320 353 329 348 356 367 372 415 402 439 Infectious Diseases 2 2 2 — 1 3 — 2 4 2 Road Traffic accidents 5 5 8 8 8 12 9 11 11 11 Other violent causes 9 10 11 13 13 16 17 20 24 18 MORBIDITY STATISTICS The following is a summary of the weekly details received from the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance during 1963: — Number of First Certificates Four weeks ending of incapacity received. 29th January 1,420 26th February 1,842 26th March 1.599 17 Number of First Certificates Four weeks ending of incapacity received. 23rd April 807 21st May 767 18th June 646 16th July 610 13th August 518 10th September 571 8th October 780 5th November 857 3rd December 894 31st December 801 The sickness rate followed the usual trend, namely, the highest incidence of illness occurred during the early and late parts of the year with the lowest figures being recorded in August. STAFF MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS 98 members or potential members of the staff were given a medical examination during the year. 83 were examined during 1962. UNEMPLOYMENT. The following information has been received from the Manager of the Local Employment Exchange. "The hard winter led to an increase of unemployment especially among building and kindred workers. The position righted itself during the Summer. There is still a large unsatisfied demand for women in factories and for young nurses in hospitals. Generally speaking unemployment among able bodied men is of short duration." OPEN AIR RECREATIONAL AMENITIES. Location. Acreage. Description. Abbeyhill Park 8.58 Open space. Belmont Lane 5.59 Open space. Beverley Avenue 1.64 Open space. Chalk Wood and Mount Misery 69.21 Open space. Chislehurst Recreation Ground and Open space with 4 tennis Whytes Woodland 15.02 courts, 1 football pitch, children's playground and aviary. Dressing rooms. Church Lane Recreation Ground 2.25 Open space. Footscray Common .70 Open space. Footscray Recreation Ground 6.80 Open space. Hoblingwell Wood 87.00 Open space, 2 cricket pitches, 4 football pitches and 4 tennis court. Games Warden. Children's playground. Aviary. Pavilion. 18 Location. Acreage. Description. Hollyoak Wood Park 11.61 Open space and part allotments. King George's Field 11.10 Open space with 3 football pitches, 2 cricket pitches and 2 concrete cricket practice pitches and children's playground. Pavilion. Lamorbey Park: — (1) The Glade 10.63 Open space. (2) Land fronting Burnt Oak Lane 2.00 Open space. (3) Land leased 12.42 Open space. Longlands Recreation Ground 6.00 Open space with 1 football pitch. Dressing rooms. Marlborough Park 6.32 Open space with 1 football pitch and 1 netball pitch. Games Warden. Dressing rooms. Mottingham Sports Ground 30.00 Open space with 2 tennis courts, 8 football pitches, 6 cricket pitches, 1 hockey pitch and 3 concrete cricket practice pitches. Games Warden. Putting Green. Pavilion. Children's playground. Mottingham Recreation Ground 5.89 Open space. Old Farm Park 11.78 Open space and part allotments. Parish Wood 6.73 Open space. Penhill Park 17.10 Open space with 4 football pitches, 3 cricket pitches, 1 concrete cricket pitch and children's playground. Pavilion. Riverside Reservation: — incorporating Stable Meadow, 123.37 2 football pitches, 1 cricket North Cray, open space, Royal pitch, children's play- Park, children's playground. ground. Part used for agricultural purposes. Dressing rooms. St. Paul's Cray Recreation Ground 6.20 Open space with children's playground. Sidcup Place 25.31 Open space with 1 football pitch, 1 cricket pitch, 1 putting green, 4 tennis courts, walled garden, children's playground,cafe and aviary. Dressing rooms. The Oval 1.66 Open space. 19 Location. Acreage. Description. Walden Recreation Ground 4.60 Open space with 1 football pitch. Dressing rooms. Waring Park 13.06 Open space with 4 tennis courts, 2 cricket pitches, 1 putting green, 2 netball pitches and 1 concrete practice pitch, children's playground and 2 hockey pitches. Aviary. Dressing rooms. Willersley Park 5.59 Open space with 4 tennis courts and children's playground. 508.16 In maintaining the health and well-being of the community, the provision of open spaces is of recognised importance. The district is well endowed with laid out grounds and playing fields, where the young may indulge in sport. No less important are the large parks and the open spaces of the Commons, agricultural land and the Green Belt, where solitude may be found, as an escape from the workaday world. The standard of the gardens has been fully maintained during the year. Four hard tennis courts have been constructed at Hoblingwell Wood Sports Ground, and a footpath has been made from Chipperfield Road to the Pavilion there. SECTION B. GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE AREA. 22 SECTION B. GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE AREA. DISINFECTION Disinfection by the Authority is not now regarded as being necessary during or after cases of the more common infectious diseases. The desired effect can be obtained by thorough cleansing of premises and heat treatment for clothes and bedding where appropriate. Nevertheless, facilities for disinfection of rooms by spraying, of books by formalin treatment, and of bedding by steam under pressure are kept fully available. Such routine disinfection as was carried out during the year entailed: — DISINFECTIONS. Premises visited in connection with Infectious Disease 521 Rooms disinfected 8 Articles disinfected 197 Steam Sprayed Disinfected Destroyed Rooms 8 — — Mattresses — 5 2 Pillows — 191 3 Bedclothes, batches of — I 1 Library books 7 — — PUBLIC CONVENIENCES. One new public convenience (at Hoblingwell Wood Sports Ground, St. Paul's Cray) was made available in 1963, and brings the total of such buildings to 21. Of these, two are situated in the Council's Cemeteries, and a further 12 in Parks and Open Spaces as follows: — Willersley Park, Blackfen. Penhill Park, Blackfen. The Glade, Lamorbey. Waring Park, Sidcup (2) King George's Field, Sidcup. Longlands Recreation Ground, Sidcup. Recreation Ground, St. Paul's Cray. West Chislehurst Sports Ground, Chislehurst. Recreation Ground, Mottingham. Mottingham Sports Ground, Mottingham. Sidcup Place. Sidcup. Hoblingwell Wood Sports Ground, St. Paul's Cray. 23 Six other conveniences are situated adjacent to the public highway. They are: — Queens Head P.H., Chislehurst. Adj. Tigers Head P.H., Chislehurst. Dorset Road, Mottingham. Westwood Lane, Blackfen. Cotmandene Crescent, St. Paul's Cray. St. Johns Road, Sidcup. The Department is responsible for repairs and maintenance to all these buildings, for the cleansing of the ladies' sections in all those, save at the Cemeteries and for cleansing of both sections in the group immediately above. Of these, th.e three last mentioned are staffed by attendants for varying hours and hot water washing facilities are provided there. This latter service is much appreciated by the public, especially roundsmen and persons using neighbouring cafes. The convenience at St. Johns Road, Sidcup, where attendants' hours are to be further extended, is in great demand. Some indication of the use made of the washing facilities at conveniences can be gained by the fact that 99,800 paper towels were issued free during the year, together with 567 linen towels for which a charge is made. It is regrettable to have to report that instances of malicious damage continue to occur at the conveniences. The great majority of the items noted are mischievous by nature and do not, in themselves, greatly inconvenience the public. Nevertheless, breakage of windows and minor damage to fitments have to be remedied and this cost over £200 in 1963. Included in this sum are a few items of a more serious nature, such as damage to and thefts from coin locks. The attention of the police was drawn to this damage as it occurred, but the task of apprehending culprits is very difficult. In one instance a ratepayer, witnessing some boys damage tiles on a public convenience roof, caught one of the miscreants and proceedings were instituted in Court. During the year the Public Conveniences Sub-Committee met on one occasion and it was decided to defer consideration of the provision of conveniences in the neighbourhood of Sidcup Railway Station, pending reconstruction planned for that area. Considerable sums were expended on works designed to protect conveniences from frost damage and to maintain them in a usable condition in very cold weather. The following winter was not sufficiently severe to test these alterations, but plans have been made to adapt other conveniences during the coming year. 24 LABORATORY SERVICE. Control of infectious diseases, especially those associated with the intestinal tract, usually necessitate pathological investigation. According to circumstances, specimens collected are despatched to the Laboratory of the Public Health Service at Maidstone, or to those attached to the Hospitals at Bromley, Queen Mary's or Hither Green. I am greatly indebted to the pathologists at these establishments for their assistance. The following table indicates the specimens examined:— Food Faeces No. sent No. Positive No. sent No. Positive Maidstone Public Health Laboratory - - 33 9 Queen Mary's Hospital - - 47 7 Bromley Hospital 4 1 18 1 Hither Green Hospital - - 8 - Totals 4 1 106 17 NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1948. Section 47 Removal of Persons living in Insanitary Conditions. This section of the Act places upon Local Authorities the duty of arranging the compulsory removal of elderly persons who are chronically ill and, being unable to fend for themselves, are in need of care and attention. For this purpose a Court Order has to be obtained. Fortunately, it is rarely necessary to adopt these extreme measures. Persons may be persuaded to enter a suitable institution or it may be possible to alleviate their condition by arranging for the County Authority to provide domiciliary aid or, in certain cases, calling upon the help of Old Persons' or other organisations. Every effort is made to enable these unfortunate people to remain in their own homes and in none of the three cases investigated in 1963, was it necessary to effect compulsory removal. Section 50 Burial of the Dead. The National Assistance Act, 1948, also places upon Local Authorities the duty of providing for the interment or cremation of bodies when no other arrangements are being made. There is now only a small percentage of the population not covered by "Death Grants" which enable funeral expenses to be met. 25 A few applications for burial were received in 1963, but in only one instance was it necessary for the Council to undertake this service. NURSING HOMES. One new Nursing Home with provision for 27 beds was registered during the year, making a total of six Homes on the Register at the 31st December, 1963. The Homes were inspected at frequent intervals during the year, but at no time were any contraventions found which called for action on the part of the Local Authority. In the main, the beds are occupied by aged sick or aged infirm patients. Details of the Homes at present on the register are as under:— Address Number of Beds. "Fallowfield," Ashfield Lane, Chislehurst 40 "Glenthorne," 24, Lower Camden, Chislehurst 12 "Hatherley," 12, Hatherley Road, Sidcup 9 "Redhill House,'' Redhill, Chislehurst 7 "The Retreat," Lower Camden, Chislehurst 4 "Derwent House," Camden Park Road, Chislehurst 27 Total 99 PUBLIC MORTUARY. The Public Mortuary is situated at the Council Depot at Beaverwood Road, Chislehurst. Adjacent is the "Coroner's Room," where formal inquests are held and in which improved heating arrangements have been provided during the year. The Chief Disinfector and his assistant also undertake the task of Mortuary Attendants and the time occupied in this work increases year by year. Post Mortem examinations were carried out by the pathologist on 259 bodies during the year compared with 243 in the previous twelve months. Similarly, 23 inquests were held compared with 18 in 1962. HOSPITAL SERVICES. There are four hospitals situated in the District. Queen Mary's, Sidcup Cottage and Cray Valley all come within the control of the Sidcup Hospital Management Committee, whereas Grove Park (which is only partly within the Urban District boundaries), comes under the purview of the Lewisham Group Hospital Management Committee. The "Friends of the Hospital" have been particularly active and the year has seen the provision of a telephone trolley at Sidcup Cottage Hospital. 26 Queen Mary's Hospital. Queen Mary's Hospital provides a general hospital service with the following beds:— Male. Female. Children. General Medicine 35 32 — Paediatrics — — 16 Pleural Effusion 10 5 — Geriatrics 24 24 — General Surgery 27 23 6 Tonsils and Adenoids 1 1 10 Traumatic and Orthopaedic 15 15 2 Ophthalmology 1 1 2 Gynæcology — 16 — Physical Medicine 3 3 — Private 2 1 1 Amenity 1 1 — Unclassified 3 8 — 122 130 37 Regular Clinics for out-patients are held as follow:— General Medicine, Diabetic, Diseases of the Chest, Dermatology, Physical Medicine, Ear, Nose and Throat, Neurology, General Surgery, Infertility and Birth Control, Pædiatric, Ophthalmic Surgery, Orthopædic and Traumatic Surgery, Psychiatry, Gynæcology, Orthodontic and Dental Surgery. The year has seen work on the long talked of new hospital get into Stride. The following summary of the operations, so far planned, has been supplied by Mr. E. V. Parker, F.H.A., Secretary to the group:— Phase I, the accommodation for resident nurses and for resident medical staff, is proceeding and should be completed in February, 1965. Phase IA, the Maternity Department, should commence in May, 1964, and it will be a 56-bedded unit with four labour suites, one equipped for Caesarean sections. It will include its own antenatal clinic and will also have a special baby care unit. The plans for Phase II, which will include the out-patient department, casualty department, major accident centre, x-ray department, laboratories, general ward unit and the administration and service departments, have been agreed and this work should commence in April, 1966. This phase will also include a central sterile supply department which will serve hospitals in the Bromley, Sidcup, Orpington and Dartford groups and provide any sterile 27 requirements for the Darenth and Stone, and Bexley Groups of hospitals. Phase III, which will be the psychiatric and geriatric accommodation, is to commence in April. 1971. Cray Valley Hospital. Provides a general hospital service with the following beds:— Maternity 10 Medical 10 Surgical 11 "Section 5" 1 Unclassified 3 Sidcup Cottage Hospital. A general practitioner hospital with:— Medical 13 "Section 4" 1 "Section 5" 1 A Physical Medicine clinic is held once each week in the evening. Grove Park Hospital. The latest information available indicates that there are 278 beds available in the portion situated in Mottingham. They are used as follows:— Thoracic Surgery Female Surgical 18 Male Surgical 25 Diseases of the Chest Female Medical 82 Male Medical 153 Venereal Diseases. Patients are referred to the various hospitals with specialist clinics for dealing with these diseases. None of these clinics is situate within the Urban District. From time to time the Department issues posters pointing out the dangers of these diseases and indicating where treatment may be obtained. 28 COUNTY COUNCIL SERVICES. Ambulance Service. The main depot for the area is at 12 Hayes Lane, Bromley. At the present time there are 24 ambulances and 27 sitting case cars available for use at this depot, and these are all radio controlled. There is also a sub-depot at Main Road, Sidcup. Chiropody Service This is provided for Old Age Pensioners, Handicapped Persons and Expectant Mothers. The clinic is held at the Health Centre, Mickleham Road, St. Paul's Cray, and domiciliary visits are also arranged for housebound patients. To augment the service, private chiropodists are employed to see old people either at their own surgeries or in the person's home. Domestic Help Service. Applications for this service should be made to the District Organiser, 69 Sidcup Hill, Sidcup, Kent. (Footscray 5521/2.) The following is a summary of the cases in which assistance was given during 1963:— Aged 65 or over 615 Under 65: Chronic Sick 66 Tuberculosis 4 Mentally disordered 3 Expectant Mother 15 Nursing Mother 115 Children not over compulsory school leaving age 70 Illness 52 940 Family Care Service Twelve cases received assistance during the year. Family Welfare Service Three cases were assisted in 1963. Evening and Night Attendant Service. Twenty-three cases received assistance during the year. 29 Domiciliary Midwifery. Nine full-time midwives are engaged in the district. Patients may obtain their services on direct application, or through their own private doctor. Health Visiting. Twelve full-time Health Visitors and School Nurses, together with one full-time Tuberculosis Health Visitor and one part-time Tuberculosis Health Visitor are employed in the Urban District. District Nursing Service. Fourteen District Nurses work in the area. This service is provided on medical certification only and is free. No night service is in operation. Ante-Natal Clinics and Child Welfare Centres. CHISLEHURST: The Willows, Red Hill Ante-Natal Wednesday p.m Asthma Clinic 1st & 3rd Thursday a.m. (By appointment) Child Guidance Clinic Monday to Friday a.m. & p.m. (By appointment) Child Welfare Tuesday & Thursday p.m Dental Clinic Mon. Tues & Wed (all day) (By appointment) Minor Ailment Clinic 2nd & 4th Thursday 4-5 p.m. (Schools) Ophthalmic Clinic Monday & Thursday a.m. (By appointment) Relaxation & Mothercraft Class Wednesday p.m (By appointment) Speech Therapy Monday a.m. & p.m. (By appointment) Adult Polio Session 2nd Tuesday 6-7 p.m. FOOTSCRAY: W. Smith Memorial Hall, Church Road Child Welfare Tuesday & Friday p.m. MOTTINGHAM: Kimmeridge Road. Ante-Natal Wednesday a.m. Child Welfare Monday & Wednesday p.m. Dental Clinic Thursday & Friday (all day) (By appointment) Relaxation Class Thursday p.m. 30 ST. PAUL'S CRAY: Health Centre, Mickleham Road Child Welfare Clinic Thursday p.m. Dental Clinic Monday to Friday (all day) (By appointment) Minor Ailment Clinic Monday 4.30-5.30 p.m. (Schools) Mothers Club Wednesday p.m. Ophthalmic Clinic Thursday a.m. (By appointment) Parentcraft Class for Senior Girls Friday p.m. Relaxation Class Tuesday p.m Remedial Exercises Monday a.m. Rehabilitation Class — Old People Wednesday a.m. Chiropody—Old People Tuesday p.m. & Friday a.m. (By appointment) SIDCUP: First Aid Post, The Oval, Sherwood Park Avenue Ante-Natal Clinic Tuesday & Friday a.m. Child Welfare Tues., Wed. & Fri p.m. Midwives Clinic Every Thurs. except 5th Thurs in month 2-4 p.m. Post Natal Clinic 1st Thursday a.m. Relaxation & Mothercraft Thursday 2.30-3.45 p.m. Immunisation and Vaccination Clinic Wednesday & Friday p.m Congregational Church Hall, Station Road Ante-Natal Clinic Thursday 1.30—3.30 p.m Child Welfare Monday & Wednesday p.m. Relaxation & Mothercraft Wednesday a.m. Dental Clinic Monday to Friday (all day) 10 Station Road. (By appointment) Minor Ailment Clinic Thursday 9-10 a.m. (Schools) 10 Station Road (Doctor attends 1st, 3rd & 5th Thur.) St. Andrew's Hall, Wren Road Child Welfare Clinic Tuesday p.m. 71 Sidcup Hill Monday to Thursday a.m. & p.m. Speech Therapy (By appointment) Domestic Help, Family Help and Old People's Services. District Organiser: Miss J. SMITH, 71, Sidcup Hill, Sidcup. Tel. FOOtscray 5521/2. Home Teacher for the Blind. Mrs. S. M. Belsham, c/o 71, Sidcup Hill, Sidcup. 31 Diphtheria Immunisation and Vaccination, All these sessions are by appointment only, and are held in conjunction with the Child Welfare Clinics. District Officer and Assistant District Officer. District Officer: Mr. B. C. WICKENDEN, Office: 71, Sidcup Hill, Sidcup. Tel. FOOtscray 5521/2. Assistant District Officers: Mr. E. BABBS and Mr. D. BARKER. Office: 71, Sidcup Hill, Sidcup. Tel. FOOtscray 5521/2. These Officers are available to assist in the event of any difficulty arising in arranging for any of the County Health Services, and their duties include : Mental Health Welfare Work under the Mental Health Act, 1959; Applications for admission to Old People's Homes; The care of moveable property of persons admitted to hospital or Old People's Homes; Administration of welfare food service; Welfare of Handicapped Persons; Assessments in respect of certain health and welfare services. Training Centres: Scads Hill House, Chislehurst Road, Orpington. The Labour Hall, Wellington Avenue, Sidcup. Mondays to Fridays, 10 a.m.-3.30 p.m. during school terms. A Home Teacher for the mentally subnormal is also available. Applications for this service should be made to the County Medical Officer, County Hall, Maidstone. SERVICES RENDERED BY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES. British Red Cross Society. The local (Chislehurst and Sidcup) Divisions under their Director, Mrs. P. Hibbs, and with Mrs. E. M. Watling as Divisional Secretary, has Headquarters at Hornbrook House, High Street, Chislehurst, and it is there that the Medical Loan Scheme and most of the other services are located. The Good Samaritan Club, for disabled men and women, meets on the second and fourth Friday in each month from 2.30-4.30 p.m. Handicraft classes for the disabled take place from 10 a.m.12 noon on Tuesday, and there is a Foot Clinic for old age pensioners on Thursday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Additionally, there is a Handicraft Class for disabled at the Clinic, Mickleham Road, St. Paul's Cray, on Wednesday 10 a.m.12 noon. 32 Escorts and long distance drivers were provided for the hospitals and assistance was given to the Old People's Welfare Committee, the British Legion and the Tuberculosis After-Care Committee. Holidays were provided for the disabled and training given in first aid, mothercraft, nursing and resuscitation. Also included in local services is help in hospitals, Cheshire Homes and Old People's Homes, together with provision of first aid at public gatherings. In co-operation with Oxford House, Mottingham, the Division is now able to deliver 120 "Meals on Wheels" per week to the housebound and aged in the Mottingham and Chislehurst areas. The St. John Ambulance Brigade. The 97th Sidcup Nursing Division functions within the Urban District under the Divisional Superintendent, Mrs. O. Barton, of 23 Arlington Close, Sidcup. Kent, and the Divisional Secretary is Miss H. R. Haley. Personnel with First Aid qualifications, attend the local cinema and many other public gatherings, including meetings and outings of The Old Age Pensioners Association and Rest-A-While Club. The Division helps in the Wards at Queen Mary's Hospital once every month and whenever required and also at the Sidcup Cottage Hospital. It also assists the District Nurse with some of the long term patients and at the Cheshire Foundation Home in Bromley. 1,692 hours of public duty were recorded during the year. Through the Division's Medical Comforts Fund, invalid chairs, rubber sheeting, etc., may be hired for a nominal fee. Applications for these may be made at the Drill Hall, Halfway Street, Sidcup, on Tuesday evenings at 8-10 p.m., and at all other times by communicating with Mrs. P. Davis of 6, Little Birches, Sidcup. During 1963, the Division celebrated its Twenty-fifth Anniversary and its founder member, Mrs. Oxley, received her 1st Bar to the Brigade's Long Service Medal, and Miss Haley received her Long Service Medal. Margaret Morris, a transferee from the Cadet Division received her Grand Prior Badge. Women's Voluntary Service. This report has been furnished by the Metropolitan Kent County Organiser. Darby and Joan Club. This is still flourishing and now averages 110 members. 33 Owing to a steep increase in rent the Club was forced to change the premises for its meeting place. They now meet in a hall attached to "The Woodman". In place of the usual Christmas tea party, the members of the Club and the W.V.S. helpers sat down to a four course Christmas dinner which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Visiting. Regular visits are made to elderly sick people. Meals on Wheels. We are delighted to report that on October 29th, we started a Meals on Wheels service in this area, and by December 31st, 568 meals had been delivered. Local Organisations very kindly donated a van to W.V.S. for this purpose. At present meals are being delivered on two days per week, but we are hoping to increase this to four days in the near future. CHISLEHURST AND SIDCUP OLD PEOPLE'S WELFARE COMMITTEE The following is a very brief summary of the work carried out by this Committee:— Clubs. One or more Clubs are open on every afternoon of the week somewhere in the district, which approximately 800 elderly attend. Most Clubs carry a waiting list. Financially they are quite independent and are no liability whatsoever on the Central Committee. Leaders and helpers are completely free in the organising of their Club programmes. Mottingham Luncheon Club and Day Centre. This Club meets each Thursday in the Y.M.C.A. Sports Pavilion, Mottingham. With 86 members, the Club is completely full. New Day Centre, Ravensworth Road, Mottingham. This Centre opened on September 2nd, 1963, and provides 80 hot luncheons daily on the premises. The Red Cross, from the kitchen, delivers about 20 dinners a day to the housebound. A chiropody clinic is held on Tuesday afternoon. The Centre is now full. Chiropody. This service operates in an ante-room at the Congregational Church in Mottingham Village. The Red Cross run a weekly foot-clinic at Hornbrook House, Chislehurst, and two other chiropodists in the Sidcup area take old people at reduced rates. Holidays. In 1963 no fewer than 508 people enjoyed holidays organised by the Committee. Boarding out scheme. This service continued to function successfully during the year. SECTION C. SANITARY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA. 36 SECTION C. SANITARY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA. AGRICULTURE (SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE PROVISIONS) ACT, 1956. There are only some 25 premises in the district, which come under the classification of agricultural holdings. The duties of the Council under the above Act are minimal and confined to securing the provision of suitable sanitary accommodation. It was not necessary to take any formal action during the year. CESSPOOLS. There are now known to be 136 cesspools in the district receiving drainage from 206 premises, (212 in 1962). The number of cesspools is identical with that given for 1962. Although a few were abolished, these have been balanced by the construction of new cesspools in cases where it is not possible for new properties to be drained to the sewers. No new sewerage schemes were completed in 1963, but preparation was made for laying a sewer in the Parsonage Lane area of North Cray. It is not anticipated that it will be possible to carry out any further large sewerage projects of this nature, although some small pockets of property, not too remote from existing main drainage, might be dealt with. The present position is:— Premises. Cesspools. Lamorbey and Blackfen 3 3 Sidcup 5 4 North Cray 112 76 St. Paul's Cray 70 40 Chislehurst and Mottingham 16 13 206 136 Cesspool Emptying A considerable demand continues to be met by the Council's Cesspool Emptying Service, the emptyings for 1963 being of a 37 similar magnitude to those for 1962. A total of 1,212,008 gallons of sewage (1,098,400 gallons in 1962) was removed from 77 cesspools. It will be appreciated that many of the cesspools are situated in the remotest rural parts of the area, in spite of which the service operated, without delay, through the snow experienced in the early part of the period and the staff are to be congratulated on their efforts. Details of the operation of the service in 1963 are as follow:— Quarters Whole Year Mar. June Sept. Dec. 1963 1962 Individual cesspools emptied 38 64 39 48 77 93 No. of "jobs" including repeats 107 131 114 116 458 609 No. of loads removed 343 406 400 366 1,515 1,358 DISEASES OF ANIMALS (WASTE FOODS) ORDER, 1957. The work of licencing and controlling plants for boiling waste food has been delegated by the Kent County Council. It is principally designed to prevent disease in animals fed on swill. Plants at five premises are licensed and 21 visits were paid to ensure that operation was satisfactory. DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE. I am informed by the Engineer and Surveyor that new lengths of sewer have been completed, or adopted in private estate development, as follow:— New length of Sewer Foul sewers of 6" and 9" diameters, totalling 244 yds. Storm water sewers of 6" to 48" diameters totalling 3,185 yds. Repairs to existing sewers 35 yds. FACTORIES ACT, 1961 Public Health Inspectors have made 233 visits of inspection to factories with or without mechanical power and building sites, etc., which are controlled by this Act. 24 nuisances or defects were dealt with, some in conjunction with H.M. Inspector of Factories. 38 The following tables give details of factories and the work carried out thereat:— 1. Inspections for purposes of provisions as to health. Premises Number on Register Number of Inspections Written Notices Occupiers Prosecuted (i) Factories in which sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 are to be enforced by the Local Authority 13 34 - - (ii) Factories not included in (i) in which Section 7 is enforced by the Local Authority 155 160 6 - (iii) Other premises in which Section 7 is enforced by the Local Authority (excluding outworkers' premises) 12 39 - - Totals 180 233 6 — 2. Cases in which Defects were found. Number of cases in which defects were Number of cases in which prosecutions were Instituted Found Remedied Referred To H.M. Inspector By H.M Inspector Want of cleanliness 3 3 — — — Overcrowding - - - - - Unreasonable temperature 1 1 — — — Inadequate ventilation - - - - - Ineffective drainage of floors 1 1 — — — Sanitary Conveniences: (a) Insufficient - - - - - (b) Unsuitable or defective 15 18 — — — (c) Not separate for sexes - - - - - Other offences against the Act (not including offences relating to outwork) - 1 - - - Totals 20 24 — — — GAME ACT, 1831. During the year, four licences to deal in Game were issued to local poulterers. 39 HEATING APPLIANCES (FIREGUARDS) ACT, 1952. The above Act makes it illegal to sell electric, gas or oil fires unless they comply with certain standards as to safety. It is found that manufacturers produce only heating appliances which come within the scope of these requirements and no action was necessary during the year. PET ANIMALS ACT, 1951. Licences to deal in Pet Animals, as defined by the Act, were issued to six applicants during the year. In this area, such businesses are on a very small scale and premises are visited periodically. No contraventions were detected, and one pet shop closed down during the year. Legislation with a similar purpose, the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963, designed to exercise control over places where animals are housed for profit, came into force on 1st January 1964, and one kennel was licenced. PETROLEUM (REGULATION) ACTS, 1928 AND 1936. Mr. J. C. Kermode, Chief Public Health Inspector, is the Inspector appointed under the above Acts. Petroleum spirit and/or petroleum mixtures are stored at 59 premises, under licence. The total capacity is given below:— Petroleum spirit in tanks 204,531 gallons. Petroleum mixtures in tanks 6,000 gallons. Petroleum spirit in cans in approved stores 20 gallons. Petroleum mixture in cans in approved stores 5,041 gallons. 215,592 gallons. Carbide of calcium 100 lbs. A small quantity of petroleum spirit is also kept without a licence, at four premises, under the terms of the Petroleum Spirit (Motor Vehicles, etc.) Regulations, 1929. Some smaller installations closed down during the year, or converted to diesel fuel, for which no licence is necessary. The enforcement of the Act and of the conditions laid down on the licences entailed 146 visits. Installations at garages are gradually being improved to meet modern conditions of trade and this involves the testing of new pumps and pipelines. The work is carried out in close collaboration with the Fire Prevention Officer of the Kent Fire Brigade. 40 During the year, one accident occurred at a filling station. An employee was warming himself at an open stove a considerable distance from the pumps. He was wearing garments on which petrol had been spilt and this ignited, causing injury. PUBLIC CLEANSING, REFUSE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL. I am indebted to the Cleansing, Salvage and Transport Officer for the following information. As development of the district continues the number of houses seen in construction is sometimes fascinating. Every available piece of land is being harnessed to put a pair of houses, a small estate, a block of flats and so on, inevitably increasing the output of refuse and stretching the resources of the department. The volume of domestic refuse collected in the district continues to increase and approximately 200,000 cu. yds. per annum are now being collected. For though it may be said to be the general trend throughout the country we are inclined to think of this as our own problem. We have to keep abreast with our weekly collection schedules fighting against such serious difficulties, for instance, as presented by the fickle climate, labour shortages and keeping the vehicles in first rate trim for the job. In addition to our normal services of refuse collection a considerable number of special collections of trade waste and refuse from premises in the district not normally classified as domestic refuse, are made. The service offered has proved popular as an increasing number of residents make use of it. Charges are made for the work which are based on the basic cost of the work involved plus oncosts. It proves very popular as it provides an outlet to residents who may otherwise be harassed by quantities of garden refuse, debris and so on for disposal. Another service added to the above during the past year has been the collection of scrap vehicles. A charge for disposal is made of £5 for cars under 12 H.P. and £10 for those over 12 H.P. at the chute. This service has been used by some residents, happily; but there are unfortunately, those who under the cover of darkness yield to the temptation of dumping unwanted cars and other rubbish on the highway. The department usually removes unwanted vehicles by means of loading them by mechanical shovel on to an open truck. They are never towed. With the increase in volume of refuse much thought is given to the type of vehicle to be bought when replacing items of the fleet. The latest vehicle delivered is a 50 cu. yd. Shelvoke and 41 Drewry Pakamatic vehicle, powered by a Leyland diesel engine. This vehicle has a reciprocating ram in the rear loading hopper which automatically packs the load as each bin is tipped into its hopper by the collector. This machine is a great success and another is being ordered this year. Over the past six years all machines have been fitted with compression packing devices so as to take full advantage of the vehicle storage space. But the latest one is of course a somewhat different patent and being a continuous packing device it is more efficient. Trade Refuse. As there appears to be some misunderstanding regarding the clearance of this material, it is perhaps desirable to make the position clear. The removal of Trade Refuse can only be undertaken by the department, providing payment is made in accordance with the scale of charges laid down by the Council in order to comply with the provisions of the Public Health Act, 1936. Charges for Removal of Trade Refuse:— Small quantities—6d. per bin or skep. Large quantities—Charge based on cost involved. Bulk container—£16 per annum for one collection per week. Bulk Containers used in flats and other premises for storage of domestic refuse are emptied free of charge. The Bulk Storage Container System has many advantages where the volume of refuse to be dealt with is equal to 8 to 14 normal size bins. Storage is improved by this method and the containers are emptied hydraulically and without dissemination of dust. Bulk Container System. This system was first introduced to deal with refuse from flats, hospitals, hotels and other similar places in the district. Some of the main advantages are that it really does:— 1. Improve storage. 2. The containers are emptied hydraulically, and the operation is dustless. 3. The containers cannot be interfered with by dogs or cats. 4. Where the volume of refuse is substantial it does away with the need for a large number of bins, which can look untidy and, take up a lot of room. This system is becoming very popular with business premises. The containers are fitted with rubber tyred casters and may be pushed from "pillar to post" to suit site requirements which alone is an innovation. Refuse in containers prevents the eyesore of the "heap round the back" from getting out of hand and allows that space to be harnessed for better use. 42 Some traders are finding the bulk container system indispensable and have 2 and 3 emptyings weekly. Two firms have, in fact, daily emptyings. During the year this system was introduced on the A.20 in order to handle the large amount of refuse being dumped on this trunk road. Description of Containers. The containers are of 1¼ cubic yards capacity of 16 s.w.g. steel construction stiffened with angle and flat section bands, and carry the lifting bar for attachment to the vehicle. The whole being galvanised after welding. Dimensions, 4' 3" high X 3' diameter. Circular type, or alternatively with flat sides 2' 6" wide to suit narrow dust chambers. They are emptied on site into an SD Refuse Collection vehicle by an extremely simple method which does not involve any additional hydraulic gear or controls. There are 170 in the district at present in use. For emptying, the containers are hitched to a gig at the rear of the vehicle and are lifted automatically by the forward tipping action of the body of the vehicle. As the body lifts the container is tipped through a dustless sealed aperture in the rear door of the body. The refuse from each container has the full available depth of the body into which it can fall, this provides a substantial degree of consolidation of refuse in the body. The total time for discharging each container into the vehicle is less than one minute. Owing to the popularity of the container system a second S. and D. vehicle is now in commission adapted for this work. Both vehicles now in use are fitted with Powerpress patents which is a device for compressing the load so as to obtain maximum pay load before journeying to the refuse disposal site. Discharge of the vehicle load is by rear tipping, the rear door opening automatically as in The standard Fore and Aft Tipping vehicle. Prevention of Noise. A new type of bin is now on the market fitted with rubber lid and rubber base. This type of bin is an attempt to reduce noise and it is hoped these will find favour with the public. Plastic bins are also coming to the fore. Unfortunately, they are flimsy in construction, too easily damaged by rough handling and ruined by hot ashes. 43 Labour. The shortage of labour and the continual movement of personnel has made it extremely difficult to maintain a weekly service; a heavy sickness toll has added to the difficulties of the department. In the past few years students have filled the gaps during holiday periods, particularly during the Summer, Christmas and Easter holidays. Paper Bag System. This system which has many advantages over the metal sanitary bin system, continues to receive substantial and continual publicity in the press. While there is interest in the hygienic storage and collection of refuse, it is as well to mention one important factor to be taken into consideration, which is, the extra cost this system entails. The bags purchased in bulk cost between fourpence and fivepence each, and this must be added to the present cost of service. There is also the capital cost of the holders, though a number of improvements have been made to these. There would, however, be some saving in other directions but as yet there is no evidence to show its introduction would not entail an additional charge on the rates. Over 100 local authorities are now operating the system in parts of their districts. Refuse Disposal. The disposal of all house and trade refuse is carried on at St. Paul's Cray Hill Park, where low-lying land is being reclaimed and when completed will be handed over as an agricultural unit. It is hoped to continue tipping at this site for a further two or three years and, to enable the department to achieve this object, further excavation work will be carried out on the site. The collection of waste paper will also make a valuable contribution towards extending the life of the tip. Facilities for traders to use the tip are provided. They may bring refuse in their own vehicles for disposal and the charge of 6/- per cubic yard is made for this service. Tipping of trade refuse must, however, be confined to certain hours in order to ensure proper control and covering of the refuse. This means the site is only open to traders between 8 a.m.-12 noon, and 1-3 p.m. The tip is closed on Saturday and Sunday. Facilities for disposing of refuse at this site are open to members of the public on payment of the appropriate charges and within the restricted hours, A word of warning however might not be amiss here as the site by its very nature is only suitable for 44 heavy vehicles, particularly in bad weather and involves running over crude refuse to approach the tip face. While we are able to dispose of the refuse within the confines of the urban district, it avoids heavy transport costs. The time will, however, eventually arrive when the question of going outside the district will become an urgent matter. Then, as the nearest site which might be considered suitable is at least 10 or 12 miles distant, the cost of disposal will increase. Waste Paper. The output of waste paper has remained at a good level in spite of difficulties. A drop in price, and restricted deliveries of various grades had an adverse effect but, in spite of these problems income increased over last year, which is a big achievement as last year's figures included revenue from waste food, which was discontinued in March 1963. The outlook for the future has improved considerably and increased tonnages are now required by the Board Mills. Householders are requested to continue saving this material and handing it to the collectors. The income from last year for 1,492 tons, from mixed grades, amounted to £11.156 which is an excellent achievement, and the total income for the year from salvage materials was £12,721. RAG FLOCK AND OTHER FILLING MATERIALS ACT, 1951. There are no premises in the district licensed under the Rag Flock Act. RIDING ESTABLISHMENTS ACT, 1939. There are now four stables from which horses are hired, for the purpose of riding. Animals, consisting of 41 horses and 52 ponies, were inspected by the Veterinary Surgeon appointed for the purpose. Seven visits were made and the animals were reported to be in good health. The Inspectors paid a further 62 visits. RIVERS AND STREAMS. I am informed by the Engineer and Surveyor that apart from the routine maintenance of streams and rivers for which he is responsible, only the normal patrolling has been found necessary. 45 The Inspectoral staff also keep observation on rivers and streams principally to detect pollution, and 58 visits were made for this purpose. A watch is also kept for rodent infestation in the banks where rubbish is liable to accumulate and any infested lengths were treated. Rainfall and Flooding. With only 0.32 inches of rain. February was the driest month of 1963, and November, with twenty-two wet days and rainfall totalling 3.78 inches, was the wettest. The average monthly rainfall was 1.78 inches and the yearly total of 21.32 inches recorded at Manor House compares with 23.96 recorded at The Glade. Monthly figures for 1963 are as follow:- January 0.40 ins. July 1.26 ins. February 0.32 ins. August 2.02 ins. March 2.54 ins. September 2.92 ins. April 2.30 ins. October 1.46 ins. May 2.12 ins. November 3.78 ins. June 1.76 ins. December 0.44 ins. Total 21.32 ins. Total rainfall in 1962 was 17.76 ins. With the completion of two new Foul Sewer Outfalls into their new trunk sewer by the West Kent Main Sewerage Board during the year, it is expected that risk of overflowing from two main District Sewers in Station Road, Sidcup, and in the Shuttle Valley will be greatly diminished. RODENT CONTROL. Rodent control work is carried out by a Rodent Operative, directed by the Public Health Inspectors. Infestations generally are of a sporadic nature and although widespread are not serious. If complaints received are to be taken as an index of infestation, a decrease on the year was recorded, these being 393 (including 43 referring to mice) compared with 420 in 1962. The number of premises of all types treated during the year came to 850 (879 in 1962) entailing 3,446 visits. Extermination of rats at dwelling houses is carried out free of charge, and as large an area as practical in the vicinity is treated at the same time. A small charge based on the cost of time and materials is made for work carried out at business premises. 46 The following table gives details of the work:— TYPE OF PROPERTY NON AGRICULTURAL (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Local Authority Dwellings (including Council Houses) Others (incl. Business Premises) Total Cols. 1, 2 & 3 Agricultural I. No. of properties in Local Authority's District 81 27,266 2,872 30,219 73 II. Total number of properties inspected as a result of notification 4 415 25 444 — Number of such properties found to be infested by: Common Rat—Major — — 1 1 — Minor 3 399 21 423 — House Mouse—Minor 1 9 4 14 — III. Total number of properties inspected in the course of survey under the Act 4 734 8 746 — Number of such properties found to be infested by: Common Rat—Minor 4 425 5 434 — IV. Total number of properties otherwise inspected (e.g., when visited primarily for some other purpose) 51 3 8 - Number of such properties found to be infested by: Common Rat—Minor — 3 2 5 — V. Total inspections carried outincluding re-inspections 25 3,161 255 3,441 5 VI. Number of infested properties (in Sections II, III & VI) treated by the L.A 8 814 30 850 - VII. Total treatments carried out— including re-treatments 8 856 47 908 - VIII. . Number of notices served under Section 4 of the Act: (a) Treatment — 10 1 11 1 (b) Structural Work (i.e., Proofing) - 12 2 14 1 IX. Number of cases in which default action was taken following the issue of a notice under Sect. 4 of the Act - - - - - X. Legal Proceedings - - - - - XI. Number of "Block" control schemes carried out - 9 — — — SEWER INFESTATION. Sewers may constitute an ideal breeding place for rats and their inhabitants serve as a "reservoir" for surface infestations. Consequently, in the Spring of each year, a "test bait" is carried out in a percentage of sewer manholes. Based on these results, a treatment with poisoned bait is instituted a month later and repeated 47 in the Autumn. The results given in the table below indicate that the sewer population is static:— Number of Manholes treated No. of manholes in which "Complete takes" "Partial takes " "No takes" Test Bail (April) 150 33 50 67 1st Maintenance Treatment (May) 129 15 53 61 2nd Maintenance Treatment (Oct.) 130 26 49 55 SANITARY INSPECTION OF THE AREA. Total number of Inspections and Visits. Housing 4,024 Infectious Diseases 521 Food Premises, Sampling, etc. 2,209 Factories, Outworkers, etc. 233 Moveable Dwellings 326 Smoke Abatement 834 Shops Act 393 Rodent Control 670 Public Conveniences 1,193 Petroleum Acts 146 Miscellaneous 484 11,033 Written Notices issued:— Preliminary: General Sanitary Defects 155 Food Premises 32 Shop Premises 7 Factories, etc. 6 Rodent Control 12 Clean Air Act Notices 6 Noise Abatement 1 Diseases of Animals (Waste Food) Order, 1957 1 Statutory: Public Health Act 4 SHOPS ACT, 1950. The number of shops in the district shows a slight decline, probably accounted for by the closure of some small businesses or by the enlargement of others to take in two or more premises. Lamorbey and Blackfen 250 Sidcup and Footscray 288 North Cray and St. Paul's Cray 112 Chislehurst and Mottingham 200 850 The Shops Act deals not only with the hours of closing, but with the welfare of assistants, both from the point of view of hours of work and the provision of sanitary accommodation, lighting, ventilation, etc. New legislation in the form of the Offices, Shops and Railway 48 Premises Act, 1963, will greatly strengthen the Inspectors' powers to require much improved amenities not only at shop premises, but in offices which have very largely escaped welfare legislation in the past. The new Act will lay down minimum space needed for workers, together with more specific requirements for heating, safety, etc. All offices and shops will need to be registered and the task of dealing with over 1,000 premises will place a considerable additional burden on the Inspectors. No Closing Orders (citing the early closing day) are in operation in the district. Thus, subject to certain conditions, the half day is that selected by the proprietor. In fact the great majority of shops by custom close as follow:— Wednesday—St. Paul's Cray L.C.C. Estate (except Leith Hill), Chislehurst, The Oval, Lamorbey. Thursday—Sidcup (other than above), North Cray, Mottingham. The Council again decided to suspend the general closing hours for the period immediately preceding Christmas, but little advantage appears to have been taken of this concession. Visits and observations in connection with the Act totalled 393, and the following infringements have been dealt with. Offences remedied Notices and records 3 Sunday trading 3 Hours of work 2 Temperature 2 CLEAN AIR ACT, 1956. Pollution generally can be divided into two categories—firstly, that caused by industrial smoke and grit, and secondly, that emanating from the domestic chimney. Industrial Pollution Little industrial smoke is produced in this District, although pollution doubtlessly results from factory chimneys in adjacent and more distant areas in periods conducive to the formation of fog. The "industrial" provisions of the Clean Air Act, at least, in so far as they relate to those processes not covered by the Alkali, etc., Works Act have been most effective. The older works have been greatly improved and before any new furnace plant can be installed, notification must be given to the Department and approval sought as to the height of chimneys. Less satisfactory is the position with regard to flue dust emanating from the concentration of cement works situated on the Thames and Medway Estuaries. To deal with this problem the 49 Council has combined with other Authorities to form the Thamesside Joint Committee for the Abatement of Atmospheric Pollution. This Committee, on which the Council is represented by the Chairman of the Public Health Committee (Mr. F. Ambrose) and Mr. C. J. Christopher, has been very concerned by a sudden temporary increase in the deposit of cement flue dust. It was later informed that the cause was probably the manufacturers use of unsuitable clay which they undertook to replace with Essex clay. The Joint Committee also sought Counsel's opinion as to the possibility of instituting action for nuisance against any offending cement manufacturer. Pollution from Domestic Chimneys The greater part of the pollution suffered in this District results from the burning of coal in domestic fireplaces. The solution here is for householders to change entirely to some form of smokeless fuel and this is the principal end to which the Clean Air Act is directed. During the year, the Council agreed on a programme designed to establish Smoke Control Areas to cover the entire Urban District by 1976:— Mottingham South 1964 Sidcup East 1970-71 Mottingham North 1964 Chislehurst 1972-73 Sidcup North 1965-66 St. Paul's Cray N. 1974 Lamorbey South 1966 St. Paul's Cray S. 1975 Lamorbey North 1967-68 North Cray 1976 Lamorbey East 1968-69-70 St. Paul's Cray E 1976 It was hoped that, in the light of future events, the four last named areas might be dealt with concurrently with other areas. The programme will also be subject to alteration effected by London Government re-organisation. A further complication arose towards the end of the year when the Minister of Housing and Local Government advised Authorities that "soft" coke for use on the modern open fire would become less readily available. This would have three effects:— (a) The possibility that modern open fires of which great numbers have been installed, especially since 1956, would have to be replaced; (b) The establishment of future Smoke Control Areas would be likely to be more expensive; (c) The trend towards the use of "piped" fuels—electricity, oil and gas, especially the latter, would be accelerated. During the year the Council's first Smoke Control Area consisting of Mottingham South Ward, together with Oakdene Avenue, Chislehurst, was submitted to the Minister and confirmed by him 50 without objection. The date of operation was given as 1st July, 1964. This was the "go ahead" signal for the Department and each of the occupiers or owners of premises were notified of the work required. Since then Inspectors have been busy advising tenants, approving the amount of grants available to each applicant, inspecting work completed and passing grants for payment. During the latter part of the year the initial survey of the second area (Mottingham North Ward) was put in hand, and arrangements were made to appoint a Smoke Control Technical Officer, to assist in the work. Visits made to premises in proposed Smoke Control Areas amounted to 673 and do not take into account the numerous personal and telephone calls which seem inseparable from this highly complicated operation. Measurement of Atmospheric Pollution The Council maintained the following apparatus for the measurement of pollution. Type Site Remarks Volumetric apparatus Manor House, Sidcup Daily recording of sulphur dioxide and tarry matter. Deposit Gauges (two) Riverside Road, Sidcup Monthly record of solid Holbeach Gardens, matter falling from the Sidcup air. Sulphur dioxide candles Holbeach Gardens,Sidcup Monthly record of sulphur dioxide. The readings from these instruments are made available to the Thames-side Joint Committee and are collated, on a Countrywide basis, by the Department of Industrial and Scientific Research. The year was not conspicuous for heavy or prolonged fog. The highest peak was recorded in late January with further more prolonged but less intensive periods of pollution in late November and in December. The deposit gauges are largely a measure of the amount of cement flue dust in the air. The highest reading of total solids for the periods was that for January when 24 tons per sq. mile was recorded at Riverside Road, and the lowest was just over one quarter of this figure, in October. Council Representation Besides being represented on the Thames-side Joint Committee, the Council also takes part in the work of the London and Home Counties Clean Air Advisory Council (represented by Mr. C. J. Christopher and the Chief Public Health Inspector), the National Society for Clean Air and South East Divisional Council (Mr. C. J. Christopher and Mr. J. P. Sheridan), and the Standing Conference of Co-operating Bodies for the Investigation of Atmospheric Pollution (Mr. F. Ambrose and Mr. C. J. Christopher). 51 Footscray County Primary School, Footscray. Monthly deposit in tons per square mile during 1963. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Water (in rain in inches) .067 0.51 2.49 1.94 1.59 1.61 1.10 2.33 2.17 1.38 3.46 0.49 pH Value — — 6.18 6.90 5.83 6.82 7.42 7.27 6.98 6.10 6.32 6.08 Total undissolved matter 8.76 7.08 4.19 6.27 5.95 4.63 3.76 3.14 3.25 2.63 2.65 5.62 Soluble in CS2 0.09 0.09 0.09 0.09 0.07 0.06 0.03 0.05 0.03 0.08 0.12 0.07 Ash 6.67 5.26 3.01 4.65 4.17 3.39 2.79 2.26 2.69 1.79 1.24 4.27 Other combustible matter 2.01 1.74 1.10 1.54 1.71 1.18 0.93 0.83 0.53 0.76 1.28 1.28 Total dissolved matter 15.53 8.63 5.40 9.61 6.58 5.14 5.86 5.73 5.46 3.49 4.74 6.65 Ca + + 2.57 1.85 0.73 2.20 0.93 0.83 1.49 0.75 1.19 0.58 0.67 1.30 cr 2.60 0.86 0.99 0.79 0.99 0.40 0.36 0.66 0.66 0.40 1.71 0.92 SO4" 6.79 3.44 1.79 3.47 1.89 1.72 1.90 1.52 2.33 1.22 1.95 2.91 Total solids 24.30 15.71 9.59 15.88 12.53 9.77 9.62 8.87 8.71 6.12 7.39 12.27 Sulphur dioxide (milligrams of SO2 per day collected by 100 sq. cms. PbO2) Gauge discontinued 52 Sidcup County Primary R.C. School. Monthly deposit in tons per square mile during 1963. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Water (in rain in inches) 0.77 0.48 2.57 2.09 1.78 1.64 1.24 2.51 1.88 1.46 3.64 0.53 pH Value — — 6.28 6.68 6.05 6.95 7.36 7.15 6.65 5.84 5.72 5.63 Total undissolved matter 7.14 7.17 7.06 7.09 5.56 5.60 5.11 3.72 4.62 3.45 3.06 5.41 Soluble in CS2 0.07 0.07 0.14 0.1 0.11 0.10 0.07 0.09 0.07 0.13 0.10 0.05 Ash 5.36 5.07 5.46 5.14 3.82 4.24 3.70 2.55 3.19 2.34 2.02 3.77 Other combustible matter 1.72 2.03 1.46 1.85 1.64 1.26 1.35 1.08 1.36 0.99 0.94 1.60 Total dissolved matter 10.94 9.19 8.86 8.72 6.44 6.71 7.32 5.77 6.34 5.07 8.05 6.44 Ca + + 1.58 1.98 1.16 1.56 1.04 1.11 1.77 0.73 1.03 0.85 0.83 0.95 Cl' 2.21 1.01 1.28 0.87 0.64 0.04 0.54 0.60 0.64 0.54 2.01 0.99 SO," 4.11 3.33 3.12 3.18 2.07 1.94 2.30 1.68 2.31 2.35 1.77 2.52 Total solids 18.08 16.36 15.92 15.81 12.01 12.31 12.43 9.49 10.96 8.52 11.11 11.85 Sulphur dioxide (milligrams of SO, per day collected by 100 sq. cms. PbO2) .... 4.98 4.40 1.79 2.29 1.33 0.46 0.46 0.63 1.22 1.25 1.34 3.15 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 SWIMMING BATHS. There are no public swimming baths within the District, but this deficiency will shortly be removed, as the Council decided during the year, to adapt the disused Odeon Cinema, Station Road, Sidcup, to provide an indoor bath. Of the private pools in the area, one is situated in a Children's Home, and is also used by other local school children. Ten samples of water taken from this pool were found to be satisfactory. Outdoor pools are attached to a factory and to a club, and four samples from one and two from the other showed the waters to be good. A further outdoor pool is of a prefabricated nature and is situated in a school playground. Four samples from this were in order. Water in all of these pools is filtered and chlorinated. VERMINOUS CONDITIONS AND INSECT PESTS. No more positive evidence of the improved cleanliness under which the population lives could be found than that relating to household vermin. Twenty years ago, bedding was often found to be infested with bed bugs, rooms with house fleas and children with lice. Now these conditions are comparatively rare and form a minor aspect of the Inspectors' routine. Twenty-six visits were paid in this connection, as a result of the receipt of 15 complaints. Some of these referred to ants or other less serious pests than those mentioned above. In all, it was necessary to treat nine premises, five of which were Council Houses. Twenty-two enquiries were received regarding the destruction of wasps' nests, and the persons concerned were referred to a local man who undertakes such work. WATER SUPPLY. All dwelling houses in the district receive a piped supply from the mains of the Metropolitan Water Board. The water supplied to the Chislehurst and Sidcup District during 1963 was satisfactory both in quality and quantity. The sources of supply to the area are River Thames derived water, together with well water from Eynsford, Horton Kirby, North Orpington, Shortlands, Wilmington, Darenth and Bexley 60 wells. A summary of the results of the bacteriological and chemical samples from these various sources follows. These waters are not plumbo-solvent. No new sources of supply were instituted by the Board during 1963 and there were no new important extensions of trunk mains but a total length of 1,968 yards of service mains was laid during the year. All new and repaired mains were disinfected with chlorine before being brought in or restored to service and samples of water collected from them were analysed to ensure that the water was up to the level of quality normally supplied. As well as being of the satisfactory quality indicated in the tables, so far as is known the quantity has been adequate and the pressure maintained in the mains. It was not necessary to take action in respect of any form of contamination. Three privately owned wells are in use supplying water for commercial purposes. Six samples were taken from these wells. On chemical examination they proved good, but one was not altogether satisfactory on bacteriological grounds. A subsequent sample proved to be sound. 61 Average Results of the Bacteriological Examination of the water supplied to the Urban District of Chislehurst and Sidcup during 1963 Before Treatment Source of Supply River Thames Darenth Well Eynsford No. 1 Eynsford No. 2 Horton Kirby No. 1 Horton Kirby No. 2 North Orpington No. 1 North Orpington No. 2 Shortlands No. 1 Shortlands No. 2 Shortlands No. 3 Wilmington Southern Group Bexley Well Number of Samples - 251 251 235 122 177 196 159 141 44 79 241 197 Agar plate count per ml. 20-24 hours at 37°C. - 2.9 - 1.7 0.5 - - 2.6 1.1 - - 0.1 0.2 3 days at 22°C. — 32 10 37 15 79 5 46 57 13 1 3 51 Coliform count Per cent samples negative in 100 ml - 99.60 99.20 83.40 91.80 96.61 97.96 18.24 34.04 100 100 100 97.97 Count per 100 ml. - — — 0.9 0.3 0.1 0.1 11.5 6.3 — — — — Escherichia coli count Per cent samples negative in 100 ml - 100 99.20 99.57 99.18 98.31 98.47 32.70 50.35 100 100 100 99.49 Count per 100 ml - — — — — 0.1 0.1 5 3.6 — — — — After Treatment Number of Samples 1,873 256 255 247 255 254 253 198 Agar plate count per ml. 20-24 hours at 37°C. 12.5 0.1 - 0.1 - 1.2 0.7 - 3 days at 22°C. — 4 5 4 15 5 20 45 Coliform count Per cent samples negative in 100 ml 99.41 100 98.43 100 99.22 100 99.21 99.48 E. coli count Per cent samples negative in 100 ml 99.47 100 100 100 100 100 99.21 100 62 Average Results of the Chemical Examination of the water supplied to the Urban District of Chislehurst and Sidcup during 1963 Milligrammes per litre (unless otherwise stated). Description of the Sample River Thames Southern Group Bexley Well Darenth Well Eynsford Well Horton Kirby Well N. Orpington Well Shortlands Well Wilmington Well No. of Samples 156 9 5 7 8 8 11 3 Ammoniacal Nitrogen 0.20 0.007 0.010 0.003 0.007 0.008 0.012 0.016 Albuminoid Nitrogen 0.079 0.018 0.015 0.021 0.018 0.019 0.016 0.016 Nitrate Nitrogen 3.8 4.3 4.8 3.7 4.4 4.3 4.4 6.9 Chlorides as Cl. 32 19 18 15 19 14 17 23 Oxygen abs. from KMnO4 4 hrs. at 27°C. 1.18 0.10 0.02 0.02 0.06 0.02 0.04 0.20 Turbidity Units 0.3 Nil Nil Nil Nil 0.3 Nil 0.1 Colour (Burgess) scale 10 Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Hardness (Total) 266 316 266 260 264 270 288 282 Hardness (non-carbonate) 66 70 32 30 40 26 62 44 pH Value 7.8 7.1 7.1 7.2 7.2 7.1 7.2 7.2 Phosphate as PO4 1.3 — — — — — — — Silicate as SiO2 11 — — — — — — — Sulphate as SO4 62 — — — — — — — Magnesium as Mg 5 — — — — — — — Natural Fluoride as F 0.25 — — — — — .— — Free CO2 — — — — — — — - Surface Active Material as Manoxol OT 0.08 - - - - - - - B.O.D. 5 days at 20° C. — — — — — — — — Sodium as Na. — 13.0 11.0 9.0 10.0 8.5 12.0 15.0 Potassium as K. — 2.1 1.9 1.2 1.8 1.8 1.8 2.2 Electrical Conductivity (Micromhos) 550 580 480 470 490 480 520 550 SECTION D. HOUSING. 64 SECTION D. HOUSING. (i) Routine Inspections: Four hundred and thirty-four visits to premises were made in connection with the Housing Acts. (ii) Clearance Areas: No Clearance Areas were declared during the year. (iii) Individually Unfit Houses: 16 houses were declared to be individually unfit. (iv) Demolition Orders: 16 demolition orders were made. (v) Overcrowding: The position at the 31st December, with regard to statutory overcrowding, as defined in the Housing Act, 1936, is as shown in the following table:— Number of cases—31st December 31st Dec.. 1963 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1560 1961 1962 No. of cases found during the year No. of cases remedied during year Cases at end of year No. of cases No. of persons concerned Aged over 10 Aged under 10 Lamorbey 5 2 2 2 4 3 4 3 2 1 1 - - - - - - - - Longlands - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - 1 - - - Birchwood - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Frognal ... - - - - - 1 1 2 1 1 - 1 — - 1 - 1 2 2 North Cray 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - St. Paul's Cray ... 3 2 2 4 4 3 3 2 1 2 2 3 2 1 — 1 — — — Chislehurst Common 1 1 1 1 — - - — — 1 1 — — — — — — — — Mottingham 17 13 10 10 11 5 5 4 5 2 - — - - - - - - - Totals 27 18 15 17 19 12 13 11 9 7 4 5 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 (vi) Defects: Number of houses inspected for housing defects (Public Health and Housing Acts) 808 Number of houses found not in all respects fit 426 Number of houses made fit without service of formal notices 432 65 SLUM CLEARANCE. The following progress is reported:— The four properties Nos. 13-16 Albert Road, Mottingham, were demolished, having previously been declared as individually unfit. The five properties Nos. 1-5 Davidsons Cottages, High Street, Footscray, were declared individually unfit houses, and were demolished. The five families comprising 15 persons were rehoused. Dairy Cottage, Hawkwood, Chislehurst, was declared individually unfit and a Demolition Order made. The premises known as Forest Lodge, Halfway Street, Sidcup, comprising five flats, together with a separate dwelling in the same curtilage, were declared individually unfit and Demolition Orders made. Three of the families concerned comprising twelve persons had been rehoused by the end of the year. IMPROVEMENT GRANTS One hundred and two applications for Improvement Grants were received, an increase of 21 on the previous year. Of these 56 were for Standard Grants, and the remainder for Discretionary Grants. 92 of the applications were from owner/occupiers the others being in respect of rented properties. 91 Improvement Schemes were approved at a cost of £10,900, together with two Conversion Schemes costing £600. The number of Grants actually made were 33 in the "Standard" category and 24 "Discretionary". The Government, in a White Paper has urged that full use be made of these grants for the improvement of structurally sound dwellings, lacking certain amenities now considered essential to modern living. A pilot survey was therefore carried out by the Department into 245 properties in the Sidcup Hill, Sidcup area. Of these, 73 were found to need no further improvements, but the remainder lacked some of the five standard amenities, 123 being without a full hot water supply. The information obtained enabled the Council to crystallise its policy and to proceed with a vigorous scheme for improvement at Sidcup Hill, and in other older parts of the area. 66 RENT ACT, 1957. Certificates of Disrepair and other documents specified in the Act have been issued as follow:— Part I—Applications tor Certificates of Disrepair. 1. Number of applications for certificates 10 2. Number of decisions not to issue certificates Nil 3. Number of decisions to issue certificates: (a) in respect of some but not all defects 4 (b) in respect of all defects 5 4. Number of undertakings given by landlords under paragraph 5 of the First Schedule 9 5. Number of undertakings refused by Local Authority under proviso to paragraph 5 of the First Schedule Nil 6. Number of Certificates issued 1 Part II—Applications for Cancellation of Certificates. 7. Applications by landlords to Local Authority for cancellation of certificates 3 8. Objections by tenants to cancellation of certificates 3 9. Decisions by Local Authority to cancel in spite of tenant's objections Nil 10. Certificates cancelled by Local Authority Nil 11. Number of applications by landlords or tenants for Certificates as to the remedying of works which the landlord had undertaken to remedy It 12. Number of such Certificates issued 11 NEW HOUSES The following table shows the number of new houses and flats erected during the year:— Houses. Flats. Erected by Council 46 32 Erected by private developers 113 120 159 152 Total Dwellings 311 RE-HOUSING The following information has been supplied by the Housing Manager:— Prior to 1963. During 1963. Families Families Houses. in occup. Houses, in occup. Permanent dwellings built by Local Authority 2,367 2,367 79 2,446 Prefabricated dwellings built by Local Authority 83 82 Nil 64 (1 family occupies two bungalows.) Halfway House 1 9 Nil 7 67 During 1963 there were 40 vacancies. During 1963, 100 families from the Waiting List were housed in permanent accommodation. 14 families were housed in Halfway House accommodation. Total number of families on the Waiting List as at 31st December, 1963:— Couples 401 Families requiring two bedrooms 521 Families requiring three bedrooms 407 Families requiring four or more bedrooms 13 Old Age Pensioners and Single Persons 320 Applicants passed for accommodation 40 1,702 During the year 18 temporary bungalows were demolished. MOVEABLE DWELLINGS. The stationing of caravans is now dealt with under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act, 1960. Sites are licensed for a given period and conditions are attached which ensure that the caravans are supplied with amenities necessary to allow them to be used as satisfactory homes. The following licences are in force:— Site Number of Vans Number of Families Approx. No. of Occupants No. of Vans for which Licences issued Chalk Pit, Ruxley 25 24 90 25 Lower Hockenden Farm 1 1 2 1 Sun Club, Hockenden 4 4 9 6 Greenwood, Birchwood 1 1 2 1 Upper Ruxley Farm 1 1 4 1 Conservative Club, Oxford Road, Sidcup 1 1 2 1 Twysdens Meadow, Footscray 6 6 15 6 Cherry Tree iNursery, Kemnal Road, Chislehurst 1 1 3 1 R/o Wm. Smith Memorial Hall, Footscray 1 1 3 1 All of these sites have functioned satisfactorily and particular mention may be made of the site for 25 caravans at the Chalk Pit, Ruxley, which Members will recollect proved impossible to control properly under old legislation. 68 The licence for a camping site, issued under the Public Health Act 1963, to the Sun Club at Hockenden, has continued in force during the summer period. Some further improvements have been made on the site. COMMON LODGING HOUSES There are no registered Common Lodging Houses in the area SECTION E. INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOODS. 70 SECTION E. INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOODS. INSPECTIONS. One is able to report a further improvement generally in the construction of premises where food is prepared or stored or from which it is sold. Not only do the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations, although these are not without deficiencies, enforce a good standard, but modern salesmanship demands clean and well lit premises, at least in those sections to which the customer has access. It is doubtful if these improvements in structure are always equalled by similar advancement in care and hygiene practised by those who prepare or sell the food. However, the tendency to prepack goods increases apace and is to be commended. The "turn-over" amongst food premises staff appears to be very considerable, giving rise to difficulties in training. During the year, 2,135 visits were paid to food premises. 225 defects were discovered and remedied after the service of 38 notices, of which 32 were written. FOOD COMPLAINTS. The number of complaints received concerning the sale of food containing extraneous matter or in a decomposd or mouldy condition showed some decrease during the year, although they still ran at a level which is far too high. A considerable portion of the Committee's time is taken in considering these complaints and the detailed investigations needed to present a fair and complete report occupy the Inspectors in a similar manner. Complainants must be questioned in detail as they may be genuinely mistaken in their statements and a few may have other motives. Shop keepers and food manufacturers must be interviewed and their premises inspected to ascertain the point at which the trouble arose. When necessary, the assistance of Inspectors in areas where the food has been prepared or stored must be called upon. Where prosecution is decided upon the further task of preparing the case is involved. Complaints received during the year amounted to 41 and they may be classified as under:— Milk 5 Bread and Flour confectionery (dirty, foreign bodies, etc.) 20 Bread (mouldy) 1 Foreign articles (other than above) 4 Perishable articles (pies, sausages, etc.) 6 Miscellaneous 5 71 Not all of these complaints were justified. For instance, identification of a live insect found in a loaf indicated the probable origin to be in the complainant's garden. In another case, crystals found in tinned fish proved to be a harmless natural product of manufacture. Once again the great majority of complaints concerned the staple article of food—bread. The articles found in loaves, etc., varied from pieces of machinery to dirt. The Court took a very serious view of offences of this nature and one firm, which offended repeatedly, was fined £100 in respect of each of two cases and £60 for another offence. The second largest classification of complaints referred to decomposition, mould growths and the like, almost invariably indicative of prolonged storage, often under unsatisfactory conditions, of such highly perishable articles as meat pies and sausages. The Inspectors lose no opportunity in stressing to shop keepers the necessity to dispose of such goods rapidly and to maintain a strict system of inspection and "turn over". In 1963, it was necessary to institute proceedings in 13 instances, as follow:— Bread (dirty)—Manufacturer fined £60 with £10 10s. costs. Meat Pie (mouldy)—shopkeepers fined £25 with £10 10s. costs. Bread (foreign matter)—Manufacturer fined £100 with £6 16s. 6d. costs. Bread (foreign matter)—Manufacturer fined £100 with £6 16s. 6d. costs. Bread (foreign matter)—Manufacturer fined £10 with £8 8s. costs. Bread (foreign matter)—Manufacturer fined £15. Sausages (stale)—Shopkeeper fined £15 with £5 5s. costs. Bread (foreign matter)—Manufacturer fined £8 with £10 10s. costs. Bread (foreign matter)—Manufacturer fined £20 with £5 5s. costs. Bread (mouldy)—Manufacturer received conditional discharge on payment of costs amounting to £7 8s. Meat Pie (mouldy)—Shopkeeper fined £10 with £5 5s. costs. Bread (foreign matter)—Case adjourned sine die due to illness of witness. Bread (foreign matter)—Manufacturer fined £30 with £6 6s. costs. FOOD AND DRUGS ACT, 1955. FOOD SAMPLING ARTICLE Number Examined Number Unsatisfactory Formal Informal Formal Informal Arrowroot — 1 — — Beverages 2 6 — — Bread & Rolls — 15 — 11 Butter & Cream 1 8 — 1 Cakes, Biscuits & Confectionery — 10 — 2 Cereals 1 1 — — 72 Cheese & Cheese Products — 2 — — Chipolatas (Beef & Pork) — 5 — 2 Colourings & Flavourings — 5 — — Cooking Fats & Oils — 3 — — Cough Linctus & Mixtures — 4 — — Demerara Sugar — 1 — — Desiccated Coconut — 2 — — Drugs — 20 — 4 Fish & Fish Products — 6 — — Flour (Self Raising & Plain) — 5 — — Fruit (Dried & Crystallised) 2 10 — — Fruit (Juices & Products) 1 9 1 — Gelatine & Jellies 1 5 — — Glucose — 1 — — Ground Almonds — 2 — — Halibut Liver Oil Capsules — 1 — — Honey — 1 — — Ice Cream & Lollies — 20 — — Marzipan — 1 — — Meat & Meat Products 2 41 I 10 Milk 4 2 — — Milk (tinned) & Milk Products 1 16 1 1 Preserves 4 20 — 2 Pulses 1 2 — — Sausages 2 19 — 1 Slimming Foods — 5 — — Soft Drink — 1 — — Spices — 1 — — Spirits 6 — — — Suet — 1 — — Sweets (including Chocolate) — 11 — — Vegetables (frozen & tinned) — 3 — 1 Vinegar — 2 - 1 28 268 3 36 Unsatisfactory Samples, etc. Serial No Article Formal/ Informal Nature of adulteration, etc. Observations W.516 Bread Informal Dirty dough. Baker fined £60 wilh costs. W.508 Cake Informal Alleged to have contained a maggot. Matter investigated. No further action. W.533 Chipolatas, Pork Informal Low meat content of 58%. Manufacturers informed. Further sample purchased and found satisfactory. W.514 Curried Chicken & Mushroom Informal Low meat content of 17%. Manufacturers informed. Description on label amended. W.553 Frozen Peas Informal Contained a fin or flipper of a fish. Producer informed. 73 W.588 Minced Beef & Gravy Informal Low meat content ot 70%. Manufacturers informed. Meat content increased. W.515 Milk Bottle (School Informal Alleged to have contained a house fly. Matter investigated. No action taken. W.552 Pork Luncheon Meat Informal Low meat content ol 67%. Manufacturers informed. W.560 Portion of Sausage Roll Informal Contained dirty dough. Matter investigated. No action taken. W.592 Bread Informal Alleged to have contained insect. Baker warned. W.605 Bread Informal Contained soiled dough. Baker fined £100 with £3 3s. costs. W.639 Bread Informal Contained piece of aluminium. Baker fined £100 with £10 10s. costs. W.640 Bread Informal Contained soiled dough. Baker fined £10 and £8 8s. costs. W.636 Casserole Meat Formal Low meat content of 68%. Manufacturers informed. W.621 Blackcurrant jam Informal Low fruit content. Importers informed of deficiency. W.629 Milk Chocolate Biscuit Formal Low butter fat content. Manufacturers informed. Further sample purchased and found satisfactory. W.618 Rolls Informal Contained charred dough. Matter investigated. No further action. W.626 Sausages (beef) Informal Low meat content ot 50%. Manufacturers informed. W.622 Stewed Steak in Gravy Informal Low meat content of 68%. Manufacturers informed W.669 Blackcurrant Drink Formal Label on article not explicit. Matter investigated. No offence committed under Labelling of Food Order. W.653 Bread Informal Contained soiled dough. Matter investigated. No further action taken. W.670 Bread Informal Contained iron fragment. Manufacturers fined £15 with £5 guineas costs. W.697 Bread Informal Contained fragments of brick. Manufacturers fined £8 with 8 guineas costs. W.698 Chipolatas (pork) Informal Low lean meat content. Manufacturers informed. W.655 Corned Beef Informal Contained animals hairs. Matter taken up with Trade Commissioner of exporting country. W.690 Malt Vinegar Informal Contained vinegar flies. Source of vinegar not definitely ascertained. No further action. W.716 Milk, Full Cream Evaporated Informal Alleged to have curdled in hot water. Manufacturers informed. 74 W.654 Roll Informal Contained insect. Matter investigated. No further action taken. W.662 Steak & Kidney Pudding Informal Low meat content of 32%. Manufacturer informed. W.712 Ammoniated Tincture of Quinine B.P.C. Informal Low ammonia content. Retailer warned. Remainder of stock withdrawn and destroyed. W.656 Cream Informal Contained scraps of metal. Matter investigated. No further action. W.754 Ammoniated Tincture of Quinine B.P.C. Informal Low ammonia content. Retailer warned. Remainder of stock withdrawn and destroyed. W.790 Ammoniated Tincture or Quinine B.P.C. Informal Low ammonia content. Retailer warned. Remainder of stock withdrawn and destroyed. W.786 Ammoniated Tincture of Quinine B.P.C. Informal Low ammonia content. Retailer warned. Remainder of stock withdrawn and destroyed. W.737 Braised Sliced Pork Kidney in Gravy Informal Low meat content. Matter taken up with importers. W.762 Bread Informal Contained soiled dough. Baker prosecuted but case adjourned sine die due to illness of witness. W.787 Bread Informal Contained soiled dough. Baker warned. W.749 Lemon Meringue Informal Contained fragment of soiled dough. Baker warned. W.742 Marmalade Informal Contained small fragments of wood. Matter investigated. Manufacturers warned. UNSOUND FOOD. A total of 2 tons 5 cwts. 0 qrs. 15 lbs. of food unfit for human consumption was surrendered to Inspectors during the year. Details of the various items are given below :— Item. tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. Bacon .... 14 Canned Fish .... 2 1 Canned Fruit .... 12 1 9 Canned Meat .... 6 — 23 Canned Milk .... 2 2 12 Canned Soup .... 16 Canned Vegetables .... 12 3 14 Frozen Fish .... 3 22 Ice Cream .... 1 14 Iced Lollies .... 1 17 Frozen Meat .... 1 2 19 Frozen Vegetables .... 1 — 20 75 Item. tons. cwts. qrs. lbs Jam 1 — 12 Meat Pies 2 14 Meat (fresh) 3 1 — Sausages 2 — Miscellaneous 1 4 2 5 — 15 Where the items concerned are suitable for the purpose, they are supplied to a local pig keeper and used as animal feeding stuff, following treatment by him. 553 Food Surrender Certificates were issued. MEAT INSPECTION. No slaughtering was carried out in the district during the year. Routine inspection of meat has been carried out in butchers' shops, etc. FOOD AND DRUGS ACT, 1955—SECTION 16. The premises in the area, registered under the above Act, are:— No. of Premises Registered. IceCream. Mfr. of Sausages. Cooked Ham. Bakers' Shops 2 — 1 Butchers' Shops — 47 2 Fishmongers (wet & dried) 6 — 1 Greengrocers' Shops 7 — — Grocers 62 — 7 Restaurants and Cafes (for consumption off the premises) 21 - - Sweet Shops, Confectioners 85 — — Public Houses and Off Licences 8 — — 191 47 11 220 visits have been paid to registered food premises. FOOD PREMISES. There are some 491 food premises in the area, made up as under:— Bakers 15 Bakers and Bakehouses 12 Butchers 56 Dairies and Milk Depots 2 Fishmongers (wet and dried) 13 Fishmongers (wet, dried and fried) 8 Fishmongers (fried) 4 Greengrocers' shops and stalls 46 76 Sale of Milk. The number of persons registered as Distributors of Milk totalled 16. Under the Milk (Special Designation) Regulations 1960, licences to deal in specially designated milk are now issued for a period ending in December, 1965. The following were currently held on 31st December, 1963:— Pasteurised 25 Sterilised 29 Tuberculin Tested (Pasteurised) 22 No processing of milk takes place within the district. There is one automatic milk vending machine in the area. BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS. Six samples of designated milks were taken with the following results:— Number passing phosphatase test 6 Number failing phosphatase test Number passing methylene blue test 2 Number giving unsatisfactory methylene blue result Six samples were submitted for chemical examination, all of which proved satisfactory. Six samples of frozen whole egg, one sample of powdered albumen, and two samples of desiccated coconut, were sampled from bakehouses. No salmonella organisms were isolated from any of these samples. ICE CREAM. Twenty-two samples were taken during the year. Nine were placed in Grade I, ten in Grade II, three in Grade III, no samples in Grade IV. Further samples were obtained from those who had sold Grade III samples. The results were classified Grade II. Grocers 116 Sugar confectioners 76 Bottling factory 1 Public Houses and Hotels with catering facilities 13 Public Houses without catering facilities 23 Restaurants, Cafes 30 Works Canteens 21 School Canteens, etc 44 Private Canteens 11 491 77 PIGGERIES. There are 13 piggeries in the district, indicating no change from the previous year. The number of pigs kept is approximately 2,000. One large piggery houses 1,000 animals, and two others 470 and 100 respectively. At all others relatively small numbers are kept. 66 visits have been paid to these sties. SECTION F. PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES. 80 SECTION F. PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES. General. In the early days of the Chislehurst and Sidcup Urban District Council, just prior to the last war, the amount of infectious disease was considered by some to be an indication of the sanitary state of an area and the general health of its population. In the seventh decade of this century the pattern of infectious disease has largely changed. Most of the dreaded childhood diseases have been conquered, at least temporarily. Diphtheria no longer casts a shadow largely due to the success of the programme of immunisation. In 1963, even poliomyelitis appears to have become something of a rarity. Formerly patients with scarlet fever were rushed to isolation hospital, whereas in 1963 the disease may scarcely be discernible. Measles is still with us, appearing in twoyearly cycles, but in an attenuated form. If a district is unfortunate enough to have introduced into it one of the more serious illnesses, such as smallpox or typhoid fever, the defence may well depend upon the prompt and meticulous application of a pre-arranged plan. Thus steps are taken to keep under surveillance all persons arriving in this country who may have been in contact with smallpox or even if they have come from places where it is endemic, without a valid vaccination certificate. In this way a possible outbreak may be forestalled. Four persons were dealt with under this procedure during the year. The total number of notifications of infectious disease received shows an increase on the previous year, although, to a large extent, this is due to the figure for measles. The following table gives a truer picture of the position. Year Measles Other Diseases Total 1960 26 365 391 1961 1,863 153 2,016 1962 69 73 142 1963 1,274 239 1,513 Of the 239, whooping cough accounted for 66 and dysentery 98. These are relatively minor conditions, and I am pleased to report that the more serious diseases were again absent or notified in very small numbers. 8 Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis and Vaccination. The first case for four years was reported in the person of a two year old child residing in a school. Although there was some paralysis, the child made a good recovery and no other cases resulted. The County Medical Officer has kindly supplied the following information with regard to Poliomyelitis Vaccination, based on the return submitted to the Ministry of Health. Year of Birth 2 injections (Salk) 3rd Dose (Salk & Oral) 4th Dose (Salk & Oral) 3 Orals (Complete Course) — — — 840 — 1963 2 3 — 129 1962 4 22 — 819 1961 — 90 — 151 1957-60 — 48 — 76 1943-56 — 28 — 73 1933-42 2 28 — 52 Others 2 51 — 91 Diphtheria and Diphtheria Immunisation. No cases of diphtheria were notified during the year. The following table, which has been supplied by the County Medical Officer, shows the diphtheria immunisation figures for 1963, based on the return submitted to the Ministry of Health:— Year of Birth Diphtheria Immunisation (Singly or in combination) Primary Reinforcing 1963 533 — 1962 596 39 1961 37 346 1960 5 173 1959 3 69 1954-58 18 599 1949-53 7 28 Totals 1,199 1,254 Dysentery. Most of the cases of sonnei dysentery reported locally are confined to families or centred on schools and other institutions, associated with children. A regime of strict attention to hygiene is imposed when such places are involved, specimens are taken from sufferers to ascertain when they are free from infection and every effort is made to discover symptomless cases and other unnotified sufferers. In 1963, one such outbreak was reported in a children's nursery, fourteen staff and inmates being affected. Fortunately, the illness was brought to a rapid conclusion. No deaths from this disease were reported amongst the 98 cases notified. 82 Food Poisoning. Notified food poisoning continues at a low level. Of the 11 cases notified, eight were single cases, the other three constituting a family outbreak. In spite of detailed investigation, it was possible to isolate the causative agent in only five of the cases. No deaths from this disease were recorded. The following is a copy of the annual return rendered to the Ministry of Health:— 1. Name of Local Authority: Chislehurst & Sidcup Urban District Council. Year: 1963. Table 1 (a) Number of food poisoning notifications (corrected) as returned to Registrar General: 1st Quarter. 2nd Quarter. 3rd Quarter. 4th Quarter. Total. 1 2 3 5 11 (b) Number of cases otherwise ascertained: 1st Quarter. 2nd Quarter. 3rd Quarter. 4th Quarter. Total. — — — 1 1 (c) Number of symptomless excreters: 1st Quarter. 2nd Quarter. 3rd Quarter. 4th Quarter. Total. - - - - - (d) Number of fatal cases: 1st Quarter. 2nd Quarter. 3rd Quarter. 4th Quarter. Total. - - - - - 2. Particulars of outbreaks: Causative Agent Family outbreaks Other outbreaks Total number of cases No. Number of cases No. Number of cases Notified Otherwise ascertained Notified Otherwise ascertained Agent identified: (a) Chemical Poisons - - - - - - - (b) Salmonella - — — — — — — (c) Staphylococci— (including toxin) — — - — — — — (d) CI. Botulinum — — — — — — - (e) CI. Welchii — — — — — — — (f) Other bacteria - - - - - — - Causative Agent not identified 1 3 1 - - - 4 Total 1 3 1 - - - 4 83 3. Single Cases: Causative Agent No. of cases Total Notified Otherwise ascertained Agent identified: (a) Chemical Poisons— - - - (b) Salmonella— 4 - 4 Emek - — - (c) Staphylococci (including toxin) - - - (d) CI. Botulinum — — — (e) CI. Welchii — — — (f) Other bacteria — — — Causative Agent not identified 3 — 3 Totals 8 — 8 Measles. As already indicated, 1963 coincided with one of the twoyearly epidemics of measles. The pattern, however, was somewhat unusual. The outbreak commenced in the winter and in April 227 notifications were received. This was followed by a substantial fall, but in June a further peak of 296 was reached, when after a further decline, it rose again to 114 in August, but dropped to three in September. Thereafter it rose again to 51 in December, and, in fact, cases were continuing to be notified during the first six months of 1964. The disease was of a mild nature and the removal of seven cases to hospital was due to difficulties of isolation in particular instances. No deaths from this disease were recorded, amongst the 1,274 cases notified. Meningococcal Infections. Two cases of meningococcal meningitis were notified and although occurring simultaneously, had no apparent connection. Both patients recovered. Pneumonia. Twenty-one cases were notified, and there were seventy-six deaths attributed to this disease. This latter figure includes people who are normally resident in the Urban District and who died outside the area. 84 Scarlet Fever. Thirty-two cases were reported, of which only one was removed to hospital. The cases were spread throughout the year, but mainly concentrated in the early months. No deaths were recorded. Smallpox and Vaccination. As already mentioned, it was necessary to keep four possible contacts of smallpox under surveillance for the stipulated period. The effects of the importation of the disease from Pakistan in the early part of 1962 were still evident in the high number of International Vaccination Certificates presented to the Department for authentication by those travelling abroad. These totalled 672. Members of the staff of the Health Department received the usual annual vaccination against this disease. The County Medical Officer informs me that 258 children in the area, 1 year of age, received primary vaccination, and eight children of school age but under 8 years, received re-vaccination during 1963. Tuberculosis. Notifications of new cases, totalling 25, showed an increase during the year in comparison with the exceptionally low figures of 17 in 1961 and 20 in 1962. There were 7 deaths from tuberculosis during 1963. The following table shows the position with regard to tuberculosis, with comparative figures for the past ten years (as corrected by inward and outward transfers). 85 TUBERCULOSIS, 1963 Year Population Notifications Number of Cases on Register Pulm. Non-Pulm. Pulm. Non-Pulm. Total Number of yearly increase Number per 1,000 pop. M. F. M. F. 1954 85,830 77 9 702 673 67 65 1,507 58 16.6 1955 86,870 74 1 744 714 65 65 1,588 81 18.3 1956 87,300 83 2 785 756 66 66 1,663 75 19.0 1957 87,790 52 2 675 641 19 32 1,367 (minus 296) 15.7 1958 88,540 57 2 718 664 19 33 1,434 67 15.2 1959 89,020 37 1 725 640 21 31 1,417 (minus 17) 15.9 1960 89,750 32 4 716 646 20 34 1,416 (minus 1) 16.8 1961 87,480 15 2 708 641 21 36 1,406 (minus 10) 16.7 1962 88,560 18 2 694 636 20 37 1,387 (minus 19) 15.7 1963 89,130 22 3 693 627 19 40 1,379 (minus 8) 15.5 86 Mass X-Ray. No full-scale mass X-ray survey was undertaken in the area during 1963. Chislehurst and Sidcup Voluntary Tuberculosis Care Committee. I am indebted to the Liaison Officer of the above Committee for the following information:— During the year the Committee continued to assist families with fuel, hire purchase debts, fares to visit patients, clothing, footwear, etc., and for many families, holidays were also arranged. The closest liaison is maintained with all statutory bodies, and the W.V.S. are more than helpful. The office at the United Services Club, 108, Main Road, Sidcup, is open every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., and regular home visits are also paid to many patients and their families. Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever. Discovering the source from which any notified case may have been infected is more than half the battle in combating the spread of infection of typhoic! fever. A child was found to be affected with the disease in the early part of 1963. Investigation revealed that the mother suffered from an undiagnosed intestinal complaint whilst living in the Far East several years before. Pathological specimens proved the lady to be unwittingly a "carrier" of the disease. The child made a complete recovery and did not become a "carrier". Whooping Cough. After a very low incidence of this disease in 1962, cases notified returned to the more normal level of 66 for the current year. Twenty of these cases occurred in February and after a clear period from April to June, cases were again reported, reaching a total of 18 in November. The following table, which has been supplied by the County Medical Officer, shows the Whooping Cough Immunisation figures for 1963, based on the return submitted to the Ministry of Health. Year of Birth Whooping Cough Immunisation (Singly or in combination) (Primary) 1963 529 1962 594 1961 36 1960 4 1959 2 1954-58 2 1949-53 — Total 1,167 87 Other Infectious Diseases. In addition to those mentioned previously in this report, notifications were received as under:— Erysipelas 3 Puerperal Pyrexia 4 (hospital cases) APPENDIX. STATISTICAL TABLES. 90 STATISTICAL TABLES, 1963 TABLE I.—Summary of Statistics. TABLE II.—Causes of Death. TABLE III.—Notifiable Infectious Diseases—Sex and Age Distribution. TABLE IV.—Notifiable Infectious Diseases—Seasonal Incidence. TABLE V.—Sanitary Inspection of the Area. 91 TABLE I. SUMMARY OF STATISTICS, 1963 Population (mid-year 1963), per Registrar General 89,130 Birth Rate (crude) (per 1,000 estimated total population) 16.2 Death Rate (crude) (per 1,000 estimated total population) 10.7 Maternal Mortality Rate (per 1,000 total live and still births) 1.36 Stillbirth Rate (per 1,000 total live and still births) 18.4 Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000 live births) 19.4 Number of Births (live) 1,443 Number of Stillbirths 27 Number of Deaths 952 Number of Maternal Deaths 2 Number of Infant Deaths (under 1 year) 28 Number of Deaths from Infectious Diseases 2 Death Rates: — Respiratory Diseases (excluding Tuberculosis) 1.80 Tuberculosis 0.08 Cancer (all forms) 2.05 Cancer of the Lung, Bronchus 0.47 Infectious Diseases 0.02 Notification of Infectious Diseases:— Dysentery 98 Erysipelas 3 Food Poisoning 11 Measles 1,274 Pneumonia (all forms) 21 Poliomyelitis (paralytic) 1 Poliomyelitis (non-paralytic) Nil Puerperal Pyrexia 4 Scarlet Fever 32 Tuberculosis (new cases and inward transfers) 25 Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever 1 Whooping Cough 66 Number of visits made by the Public Health Inspectors 11,033 92 TABLE II. CAUSES OF DEATH. 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 Males Females Total 1. Tuberculosis—Respiratory 6 4 4 3 4 1 5 2. Tuberculosis—Other — — 2 — 2 — 2 3. Syphilitic Diseases 1 1 — 1 2 3 5 4. Diphtheria - - - - - - - 5. Whooping Cough - - - - - - - 6. Meningococcal Infections - - - - - - - 7. Acute Poliomyelitis - - - - - - - 8. Measles 1 - - - - - - 9. Other infective and parasitic diseases 2 - 2 4 2 - 2 10. Malignant neoplasm, stomach 26 13 24 18 17 7 24 11. Malignant neoplasm, lung bronchus 42 34 33 52 32 10 42 12. Malignant neoplasm, breast 16 19 16 14 — 24 24 13. Malignant neoplasm, uterus 7 1 6 3 — 9 9 14. Other malignant and lymphatic neoplasms 88 73 75 67 45 39 84 15. Leukaemia, aleukaemia 4 9 4 5 6 4 10 16. Diabetes 1 2 6 4 2 2 4 17. Vascular lesions of nervous system 65 92 98 89 28 63 91 18. Coronary disease, angina 155 154 184 167 108 84 192 19. Hypertension with heart disease 15 15 10 11 6 10 16 20. Other heart disease 91 65 78 89 28 63 91 21. Other circulatory disease 41 46 45 46 26 23 49 22. Influenza 8 1 2 2 2 11 13 23. Pneumonia 55 32 41 49 33 43 76 24. Bronchitis 43 31 44 64 48 29 77 25. Other diseases of respiratory system 5 7 10 13 7 1 8 26. Ulcer of stomach or duodenum 4 5 6 8 3 2 5 27. Gastritis, enteritis and diarrhoea 5 5 3 4 2 6 8 28. Nephritis and nephrosis 8 6 7 9 4 2 6 29. Hyperplasia of prostate 2 3 3 8 6 — 6 30. Pregnancy, childbirth, abortion — 1 — — — 2 2 31. Congenital malformations 5 10 7 8 7 3 10 32. Other defined and ill-defined diseases 38 47 53 64 28 34 62 33. Motor vehicle accidents 12 9 11 11 6 5 11 34. All other accidents 9 7 12 15 6 5 11 35. Suicide 7 10 8 9 6 1 7 36. Homicide and operations of war - - - - - - - 762 702 794 837 466 486 952 93 TABLE III. NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASES, 1963 Sex and Age Distribution. Disease Totals Under 1 1—2 3—4 5—9 10—14 15—24 25 and over Age unknown Scarlet Fever M. F. M. F. M . F. M. F. M. F. M. F. M. F. M. F. M. F. 14 18 - - 3 2 - 5 11 9 - 1 - 1 - - - - Whooping Cough 37 29 3 1 8 7 6 6 19 11 1 3 — — — 1 — — Measles 663 611 1 1 14 142 129 158 155 338 295 5 16 7 1 2 1 — — Dysentery 48 50 1 — 7 4 4 10 17 15 9 5 1 4 9 12 — — Poliomvelitis (Paralytic) 1 - - - 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - Meningococcal Infection 1 1 1 - - - - 1 - - - - - - - - - - 764 709 16 15 161 142 168 177 385 330 15 25 8 6 11 14 — — Under 5 5—14 15—44 45—64 65 & over Age unknown m. f. m. F. M. F. m. f. m. f. m. f. Acute Pneumonia 12 9 2 - 1 1 1 1 3 1 5 6 - - Erysipelas 1 2 — — — — 1 — — 2 — — — — Food Poisoning 5 6 2 — — 1 3 1 — 3 — 1 — — Puerperal Pyrexia — 4 — — — — 4 — — — — — Typhoid Fever - 1 - - - 1 - - - - - - - - 18 22 4 — 1 3 5 6 3 6 5 7 — - 782 731 94 140 TABLE IV. NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASES, 1963 Seasonal Incidence. Disease Jan. Feb Mar. April May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Totals Dysentery 1 3 16 22 1 7 5 12 14 2 — 15 98 Erysipelas — 2 — - - - - 1 — - — — 3 Food Poisoning — — 1 1 — 1 - 3 — — — 5 11 Measles 21 65 203 227 125 296 81 114 3 48 40 51 1,274 Meningococcal Infection — — — - — — - 2 — — - - 2 Pneumonia 3 4 6 — 1 1 1 1 — — 2 2 21 Poliomyelitis — — — - 1 - — - - - - — 1 Puerperal Pyrexia - — - — - 1 1 2 — - — — 4 Scarlet Fever 1 12 4 4 2 1 1 1 - 1 5 — 32 Typhoid Fever 1 — — — — — — — — — - — 1 Whooping Cough — 20 2 — — — 8 2 1 2 18 13 66 Totals ... 27 106 232 254 130 307 97 138 18 53 65 86 1,513 95 TABLE V. SANITARY INSPECTION OF THE AREA. 1. Inspections—General. Dwelling Houses (Public Health Act) 3,484 Dwelling Houses (Housing Act) 413 Dwelling Houses (Housing Act) Overcrowding 21 Dwelling Houses (Rent Act) 106 Moveable Dwellings 326 Sampling Visits 70 Unsound Food 123 Food Complaints 73 Meat Inspections 6 Dairies 20 Ice Cream Shops 122 Butchers and registered sausage manufacturers 303 Bakers 118 Bakehouses 66 Restaurants, Cafes and Canteens 283 Chemists 17 Fishmongers 127 Greengrocers 260 Grocers 450 Confectioners Shops 90 Vans and Stalls 15 Public Houses and Licensed Premises 65 Canned Food Factory 1 Factories (Sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, Factories Act) 34 Factories (Section 7, Factories Act) 160 Factories (Section 7, other Premises) 39 Shops Act and Hours 393 Fireguards Act 1 Petroleum Acts 146 Agriculture (Safety, Health & Welfare Provisions Act) 1 Swill Plants 21 Piggeries 66 Riding Establishments and Stables 62 Keeping of Animals 47 Premises—for Rats and Mice 652 Premises—for other Pests 18 Offensive Accumulations 60 Pet Animals Act 4 Animal Boarding Establishments Act 11 Clean Air Act, Smoke Control Areas 673 Clean Air Act, others 161 Public Conveniences 1,193 Swimming Pools 5 Rivers, etc. 58 Water Supplies 26 Infections (General) 450 Infections (Food Poisoning) 71 Noise Abatement 47 Fouling of Footpaths 58 Vermin 8 Schools 7 Nursing Homes 2 11,033 96 2. Complaints. General Sanitary Defects 225 Drainage 631 Keeping of Animals 5 Accumulations and Smells 73 Verminous Premises 10 Water Supply 16 Rats 350 Mice 43 Overcrowding 10 Food 48 Dustbins 9 Smoke 28 Insects 5 Fouling of Footpaths by Dogs 1 Noise 6 1,460 3. Notices. Statutory 4 Informal 155 Food 32 Shops 7 Factories 6 Clean Air Act 6 Noise Abatement 1 Diseases of Animals (Waste Food) Order, 1957 1 Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949 12 224 R1/71