AC 4421 (3) Library 22.7.63 EBAR 24 EIGHTY-NINTH ANNUAL REPORT of the MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH for the year 1962 by C. M. SCOTT, M.R.C.S.(Eng.), L.R.C.P.(Lond.) Medical Officer of Health to the Council together with the ANNUAL REPORT of W. K. PICKUP, M.R.S.H. Chief Public Health Inspector East Barnet Urban District Council EIGHTY-NINTH ANNUAL REPORT of the MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH for the year 1962 by C. M. SCOTT, M.R.C.S.(Eng.), L.R.C.P.(Lond.) Medical Officer of Health to the Council together with the ANNUAL REPORT of W. K. PICKUP, M.R.S.H. Chief Public Health Inspector East Barnet Urban District Council East Barnet Urban District Council EIGHTY-NINTH ANNUAL REPORT of the MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH FOR THE YEAR 1962 To the Chairman and Members of the East Barnet Urban District Council I have the honour to present my report for the year 1962. The total number of infectious diseases notified during the year was small due almost entirely to the fall in the number of cases of Measles. Last year was a "Measles Year" and it also included a Sonne Dysentery outbreak. New school outbreaks are a constant "control" problem, they do, however, present the opportunity to enforce more rigorous personal hygiene measures which must in the long run be of considerable help in checking the spread of infection. It is not, unfortunately, appreciated that diarrhoea in children lasting more than 24 hours should always lead to a suspicion of Sonne Dysentery or some other infection. The Department has co-operated fully with the Housing Department not only in the assessment of mcdical grounds in housing applications but also in a further complete check of the housing list. This has, I believe, resulted in a more realistic view of the actual housing needs in the District. Although it is entirely true to say that the bulk of the more serious cases have now been re-housed, one hears of many people still living in inadequate housing and where needs cannot yet be satisfied. Particularly perhaps it is fair to say that the number of elderly single people needing housing assistance steadily increases. If proof were needed the list of approved applicants for Vale Court should suffice. The other main category covers the young married couples who have in many cases to wait an inordinately long time before being able Page Three to obtain a house of their own away from their parents-in-law and the frequent friction such proximity produces. Lastly, Food and Drug control. It should be stressed that out of the 75 samples submitted to the Analyst only four were unsatisfactory and these samples showed either misleading labelling or difference in the contents of essential parts. It is still true that there are no official standards for the composition of certain foods such as soups and sausages. It is of prime importance that a close watch be kept on such foodstuffs in order to protect the public from purchasing for example "Chicken Soup" found on analysis to contain less than half of one per cent of meat and/or meat extractives. It is, however, fair to say that the standard of food hygiene in local shops is reasonably good and the Department has comparatively few complaints to deal with. Further clerical staff has been obtained during the year and this has enabled the Department to keep up to date with its work — or perhaps it would be fairer to say that the pressure of work has been somewhat relieved. My most sincere thanks to every member of my staff for their work and loyalty during the past year. C. M. Scott, Medical Officer of Health Page Four STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE AREA public health staff Medical Officer of Health : C. M. Scott, M.R.C.S. (Eng.), L.R.C.P. (London). Chief Public Health Inspector: W. K. Pickup, M.R.S.H., Cert. R.S.H. Meat Inspection, Cert. R.S.H. Sanitary Science. Deputy Chief Public Health Inspector: S. C. Smith, M.A.P.H.I., Cert. R.S.H. Meat Inspection. Public Health Inspectors: K. Ketley, M.A.P.H.I., Cert. R.S.H. Meat Inspection. J. P. McCormack, M.A.P.H.I., Cert. R.S.H. Meat Inspection. Student Public Health Inspector: M. Williams. Technical Assistant: R. H. Harland. Clerical Assistant: Mrs. K. Wilson. Typists and Clerks Mrs. J. Emmerton. Mrs. M. Houghton. Rodent Operator: A. E. Hoskins. Public Analyst: Dr. J. H. Hammence, Ph.D., M.Sc., F.R.I.C. Deputy Public Analyst: P. S. Hall, B.Sc, F.R.I.C. PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES IN THE DISTRICT hospitals The following hospitals serve the district for both infectious disease and general treatment. Barnet General Hospital, Wellhouse Lane, Barnet. Coppetts Wood Hospital, Coppetts Road, Muswell Hill. The Chest Clinic, attached to Barnet General Hospital, deals with Tuberculosis out-patients and holds clinics daily. The Victoria Hospital, Wood Street, Barnet, serves the district for Maternity Cases. clinics The following clinics are held within the district, and dates and times may be obtained from the Health Centre, East Barnet Road (Tel.: Hadley Green 1251). Infant Welfare Dental Diptheria and Polio Immunisation Page Five In addition, the following clinics are held at: Church Farm, Church Hill Road : Speech Therapy Dental Ophthalmic Infant Welfare Diphtheria and Polio Immunisation Friends Meeting House, Waterfall Road, N.ll : Infant Welfare Diphtheria and Polio Immunisation St. Mark's Hall, Woodville Road, New Barnet: Infant Welfare Diphtheria and Polio Immunisation area and rateable value Area (in acres) 2,644 Registrar General's estimate of population (1962) 40,890 Number of inhabited houses (rated) 12,956 Number of persons per house 3.15 Rateable value (at 31st December, 1962) £749,528 Product of penny rate (Est.) £3,040 Number of business premises 654 Number of industrial premises 33 Live births— vital statistics Male Female Total Legitimate 279 260 539 Illegitimate 10 10 20 Totals 289 270 559 Still births — Legitimate 3 4 7 Illegitimate 2 — 2 Totals 5 4 9 Deaths of infants under 1 year of age— Legitimate 9 3 12 Illegitimate 1 1 2 Totals 10 4 14 Deaths of infants under 4 weeks of age— Legitimate 7 3 10 Illegitimate 1 — 1 Totals 8 3 11 Total number of deaths of all ages 187 228 415 Page Six births 1961 1962 Live births (rates per 1,000 population) 13.2 14.5 Still births (rates per 1,000 population) 0.20 0.23 Still births (rates per 1,000 total; live and still births) 16.9 16.8 deaths 1961 1962 Infants under 1 year of age (rate per 1,000 live births) 22.4 27.0 Total all ages (rate per 1,000 population) 12.67 10.9 The Registrar General's Comparability Factors for Births and Deaths have been taken into account when calculating the above rates. Death rate of legitimate infants under 1 year per 1,000 legitimate births 16.5 22.26 Death rate of illegitimate infants under 1 year per 1,000 illegitimate births 166.6 100.0 TABLE 1 Notifications of Infectious Diseases (other than Tuberculosis) received during the year 1962 DISEASES Total Cases Notified Under 1 year 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years 5-9 years 10-14 years 15-24 years 25 years and over Scarlet Fever 8 ......... ......... ......... ......... 2 4 2 ......... ......... Whooping Cough 6 ......... ......... ......... ......... 2 3 1 ......... ......... Measles 41 2 1 3 3 3 23 1 1 4 Dysentery 2 ......... ......... ......... ......... 1 ......... ......... ......... 1 Acute Pneumonia 2 ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... 2 Food Poisoning 7 ......... ......... ......... ......... 1 2 2 ......... 2 Erysipelas 1 ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... 1 Chicken Pox 154 2 7 4 10 12 83 23 3 10 Totals 221 4 8 7 13 21 115 29 4 20 Page Seven TABLE II Causes of, and Ages at, Death during the year 1962 CAUSES OF DEATH All Ages Under 1 year 1-7 years 3-5 years 6-15 years 16-75 years 76-45 years 46-65 years 66 and over Tuberculosis, respiratory 2 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 2 ...... Tuberculosis, other ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... Syphilitic disease 3 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 1 2 Diphtheria ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... Whooping Cough ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... Meningococcal infections ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... Acute Poliomyelitis ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... Measles ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... Other infective and parasitic diseases ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... Malignant neoplasm, stomach 4 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 4 ,, ,, lung, bronchus 16 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 6 10 ,, ,, breast 10 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 5 5 ,, ,, uterus 3 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 1 2 Other Malignant and lymphatic neoplasms 45 ...... ...... ...... ...... 1 2 11 31 Leukaemia, aleukaemia 4 ...... ...... ...... ...... 1 7 1 ...... Diabetes 4 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 1 1 2 Vascular lesions of nervous system 43 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 3 11 29 Coronary disease, angina 82 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 3 19 60 Hypertension with heart disease 13 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 2 11 Other heart disease 62 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 2 11 49 Other circulatory disease 28 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 7 21 Influenza 3 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 1 7 Pneumonia 13 1 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 4 8 Bronchitis 22 2 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 7 13 Other diseases of the respiratory system ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... Ulcer of stomach and duodenum 3 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 1 7 Gastritis, enteritis and diarrhoea ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... Nephritis and nephrosis 4 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 4 Hyperplasia of prostate 1 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 1 Pregnancy, childbirth, abortion 1 ...... ...... ...... ...... 1 ...... ...... ...... Congenital malformations 4 3 1 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... Other defined and ill-defined diseases 33 8 ...... ...... ...... ...... 7 10 13 Motor vehicle accidents 3 ...... ...... ...... 1 1 ...... 1 ...... All other accidents 4 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 7 ...... 2 Suicide 5 ...... ...... ...... ...... 1 7 1 1 Homicide and operations of war ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... Totals 415 14 1 ...... 1 5 19 103 277 Page Eight TABLE III Infantile Mortality, 1962 Net deaths from stated causes at various ages under 1 year CAUSES OF DEATH Under 1 week 1 week 2 weeks 3 weeks Total under 4 weeks 1-3 months 4-6 months 7-9 months 10-12 months Total between 1 month and 1 year Total under 1 year  Pneumonia ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 1 ...... ...... ...... 1 1 Bronchitis ...... ...... ...... 1 1 1 ...... ...... ...... 1 2 Congenital malformations 3 ...... ...... ...... 3 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 3 Other defined and ill-defined diseases 8 ...... ...... ...... 8 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 8 Totals 11 ...... ...... 1 12 2 ...... ...... ...... 2 14 TABLE IV Tuberculosis New cases and Mortality during year 1962 AGE PERIODS NEW CASES DEATHS Respiratory Non-Respiratory Respiratory Non-Respiratory M. F. M. F. M. F. M. F. Under 5 years ...... ...... ...... 1 ...... ...... ...... ...... 5-14 years ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 15-24 years 1 2 2 1 ...... ...... ...... ...... 25-44 years ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 45-64 years 1 1 ...... ...... ...... 2 ...... ...... 65 and over 1 ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... Totals 3 3 2 2 ...... 2 ...... ...... Page Nine Page Ten Page Eleven COMMENTS ON STATISTICS Population The Registrar General's mid-year estimate of the population for 1962 is 40,890, an increase of 270 on the previous year. In 1961 the population figure was reduced by 940 to 40,610, and was the result of a correction in the figure due to the Census. The present increase is normal and is the result of natural increase. The number of persons per house dropped from 3.22 to 3.15. Births The number of live births has increased by 53 as compared with 1961, this being an increase of approximately 10% on the year. In consequence the birth rate shows an increase of 1.3 per thousand births. The birth rate in 1961 is the highest since 1958, which was the highest for a considerable time. The figure is still considerably below that for England and Wales. It appears probable that the decrease in birth rate over the past few years was in fact due to the population figure being higher than actual as was commented upon in my last report. The number of illegitimate births shows a decrease of two live births, but there were two illegitimate still births. Consequently the actual number of illegitimate births live and still is the same as in 1961. The number is slightly over the average of illegitimate births, which is 19. However, the figure varies very considerably, the highest in the last ten years being 35 and the lowest 9. Mortality The death rate shows a decrease in 1962, being reduced from 12.67 to 10.9. This figure is very close to the average for the past nine years, which is 10.6. The deaths of infants under one year per 1,000 live births is 27.0. In 1961 the figure was 22.4, in 1960 20.6, and in 1959 was 43.1, the average for the past nine years being 24.4. Owing to the large variation year by year in these figures comparison with previous years has little meaning, however, the figure for the past year is higher than the average for the past nine years by 2.6. The number of deaths from cancer during 1962 was 78. This is a little lower than 1961, but is about the average over the last ten years, which is 79. The number of deaths from cancer does not appear to vary to any great extent year by year. There were two deaths from tuberculosis, which is the same as in 1961. This is a very low figure, and is a figure which has shown a consistent reduction. Page Twelve There were four deaths from leukaemia, which is two less than in 1961. Over the past 12 years there have been 27 deaths from leukaemia, and 16 of those have been in the last three years. Between 1950 and 1959 inclusive there were 11 deaths from this disease giving an average of 1.22 per annum; in the past three years there have been 16 deaths giving an average of 5.36 per annum. This figure may have no significance, but it is a figure which, as mentioned in the last report, requires to be kept under observation. INTERNATIONAL VACCINATION CERTIFICATES At the end of 1952 a new form was introduced for International Vaccination Certificates requiring authorisation of the signature of the doctor performing the vaccination or inoculation of persons proceeding overseas. During the year several hundred such certificates were authenticated and marked with the authorised stamp. LABORATORY FACILITIES These facilities are provided by the Central Public Health Laboratory Service. The Service has been of the greatest assistance to the Department through its laboratories at Colindale and at Coppetts Wood Hospital. This assistance, and the close co-operation which has continued for so many years between my Department and the Laboratory Service is gratefully acknowledged. The following is a summary of the work carried out by the Laboratory Service for the Department during 1962— Nose and throat swabs 8 Faeces 245 Sputum 1 Urine 5 Milk 92 Ice Cream 91 Water 12 INFECTIOUS DISEASES Table IV, which gives the number of new cases of Tuberculosis, shows that there were 13 such cases during 1962. The average number of new cases over the last ten years is 29.5. As previously mentioned, the incidence of Tuberculosis has decreased rapidly over the past few years. Table 1, which lists the number of cases of infectious diseases notified during 1962, shows a total of 221. The diseases which make up the greater number of cases notified are the ailments of childhood and vary greatly year by year. Page Thirteen SPECIAL HOUSING CASES During 1962 57 families were referred to the Department for special consideration for Council housing accommodation on medical grounds. All the families were visited, and after consideration of the reports received from the Inspector visiting the homes and the medical certificates or letters submitted with the applications, 28 of the families were recommended to the Housing Committee as being in need of more suitable accommodation. By the end of the year 12 of these families had been rehoused in Council accommodation and two elderly persons accommodated in the Council's new premises for such persons at Vale Court, Bulwer Road, New Barnet. This particular scheme, which provides homes for 18 elderly women, has proved very successful, and there would appear to be an urgent need for more accommodation of a similar type, judging from the number of applications for recommendation received by the Department. I am grateful for the help given by the Housing Manager and his deputy in the rehousing of these medical cases in the most suitable accommodation available. Page Fourteen East Barnet Urban District Council REPORT of the CHIEF PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTOR FOR THE YEAR 1962 To the Chairman and Members of the East Barnet Urban District Council. I have the honour to present my eleventh annual report to the Council. The year 1962 was very similar in general pattern to 1961. There was again an increase in the amount of work due to the operation of the Clean Air Act, 1956, due to the fact that the last two Smoke Control Orders dealt with contained rather more properties than the first two. The appointment of an additional clerk at the end of the year enabled the clerical work in connection with the smoke control areas to be brought and kept up to date. Whilst four Smoke Control Orders have now been made it will still be some years yet before the whole of the district will be smoke free, but the work is progressing steadily towards this goal. Table I which gives an indication of the work carried out by the Public Health Inspectors shows that there has been a slight increase in the number of visits made to premises in the district. The visits which show the largest increase in number are, of course, those made in connection with the Clean Air Act. The various other Tables reflect the general pattern of work of the Department in more detail. It was reported during the year that the Council's programme under the Housing Acts for dealing with houses suitable for demolition, closing and when in groups, clearance areas, was completed. The main factor for deciding if a house is in any of these categories is whether or not the cost of repair is reasonable when compared with the value of the house. Since 1955 the selling value of a house has increased, and in general rents have also increased considerably, consequently the cost of repairs which an owner can reasonably be expected to make has risen in proportion to these selling prices. Page Fifteen Thus houses which at the date of the survey would rank as unfit and not repairable at a reasonable cost have now been removed from this category. Also many houses which were in this category have been occupied by their owners, who in some cases have carried out extensive repairs and modernisation. As I mentioned in the body of the report, although this programme may now be considered to be completed, houses which will fall into the category of suitable for demolition or closing will undoubtedly be found and reports made to the Committee from time to time. The Housing Act, 1961, which came into force during the last months of 1961 gave Council's considerable additional powers for dealing with houses let in multiple occupation. These houses are in some areas a very serious problem, but in this area are luckily very few. However, a few notices under the new Act have been served. The procedure under this Act is extremely lengthy and complicated, but it does give a local authority the power to at least see that reasonable conditions are provided for those persons who live in these houses, sometimes paying high rents. In August, 1962, the Minister of Housing and Local Government issued a circular dealing with the Improvement of Houses in which he requested Councils to persuade owners of property to take advantage of the grants available for the improvement of houses and the provision of amenities. The Council decided to implement the circular. In this area there are many small houses built in the early 1900s which are very soundly constructed, but like most property of that type and period lack modern amenities and are properties which would without doubt gain considerable benefit by these grants. The Public Health Department will be making visits to certain of these premises in an attempt to persuade the owners to take advantage of these grants, but in many cases it will be difficult to persuade the owners, particularly among the middle-aged and elderly owner/ occupiers, many of whom have lived without what are now considered to be essential amenities all their lives. In conclusion I would express my thanks to every member of the Public Health Department, with particular reference to my Deputy, Mr. Smith, who has given me every support during the year. Also to the clerical staff who until the appointment of an additional Clerk/ typist were at times practically overwhelmed with the volume of work but managed to keep the office functioning efficiently. I also wish to thank all other Officers of the Council for their assistance and co-operation. W. K. Pickup, Chief Public Health Inspector. Page Sixteen TABLE 1 Table of Visits and Inspections made during the Year PUBLIC HEALTH 1961 1962 Nuisances and Sanitary Defects 3,201 3,484 Infectious Diseases 631 245 Schools 40 32 Brooks and Streams 14 16 Verminous Premises - 6 Hairdressers and Barbers 36—3,922 41—3,824 HOUSING Housing Act, 1936, Part 2 1,416 973 Permitted Numbers and Overcrowding 91 67 Applicants for Housing 115—1,622 536—1,576 FOOD HYGIENE Restaurants and Snack Bars 421 411 Fish Shops 132 137 Butchers' Shops 315 308 Bakehouses 41 60 Ice Cream Premises 253 267 Other Food Shops and Premises 804 799 Food Inspections 192 209 Milk (Special Designations) Registrations 31—2,189 25—2,216 FACTORIES Factories 187 193 Outworkers 42—229 49—242 INFESTATIONS Rat and Mouse 2,410 1,885 Insects 348—2,758 350—2,235 FOOD AND DRUGS Sampling and in connection therewith 312—312 297—297 SHOPS ACTS Visits made 519—519 728—728 CLEAN AIR ACT Visits made 3,491—3,491 4,319—4,319 15,042 15,437 17 TABLE II HOUSING ACT, 1936 and 1957 Demolition Orders 2 Closing Orders 11 Houses demolished as a result of Orders 2 Closing Orders determined 1 Clearance Areas declared under Section 25:— Clearance Areas 1 Houses in above Areas 3 Houses in clearance Areas demolished 94 NUMBER OF NOTICES SERVED DURING THE YEAR 1961 1962 Informal Notices 78 95 Statutory Notices 8 12 Result of the service of these Notices as follows:— 1961 1962 1961 1962 Preliminary Notices Statutory Notices Complied with 71 79 10 8 Work in progress or in hand at end of year 4 - - - Not complied with 17 26 1 2 TABLE III IMPROVEMENTS EFFECTED AS A RESULT OF NOTICES SERVED Exterior No. of Houses Roofs repaired and made weathertight 35 Rainwater pipes and rainwater gutters cleaned, repaired or renewed 27 Chimney pots and flues repaired 3 Brickwork repaired or repointed 7 Rendering repaired or renewed 6 Damp walls remedied 48 Choked drains cleared 18 Soil and vents repaired or renewed 4 Drains repaired or relaid 32 Exterior paving relaid or repaired 2 Dustbins renewed 12 Accumulation of refuse removed 3 Interior Wallplaster repaired or re-plastered 18 Ceilings repaired or re-plastered 21 Sinks renewed 3 18 Wastepipes repaired or renewed 3 W.C.'s and fittings repaired or renewed 22 Insufficient water supplies remedied 8 Stairs and staircases repaired or renewed 3 Floors and skirtings repaired or renewed 16 Doors and frames repaired or renewed 12 Window frames and sills repaired or renewed 27 Sash cords renewed 16 TABLE IV Factories Act, 1937 FACTORY INSPECTIONS Inspections for the purposes of provisions as to Health Premises No. on Register Number of Inspections Written Notices Factories without mechanical power 3 5 - Factories in which mechanical power is used 91 168 1 Totals 94 173 1 Cases in which Defects were Found Particulars Number of cases in which defects were found Referred Found Remedied To H.M. Inspector By H.M. Inspector Want of cleanliness - — — — Unsuitable or defective sanitary conveniences 1 1 - 1 Other offences (not including offences relating to home work) - — — — Totals 1 1 — 1 TABLE V FOOD SURRENDERED DURING 1961 cwts. qrs. lbs. Meat — 2 21 Fish — 3 14 Tinned Food (other than meat) 2 0 0 Tinned Ham — 2 3 Tinned Meat — 1 2 Frozen Foods — 2 5 Total 4 3 17 19 TABLE VI Food and Drugs Act, 1955 SAMPLES EXAMINED BY PUBLIC ANALYST Quarter ended No. examined No. found adulterated Formal Informal Total Formal Informal Total 31st March — 15 15 — — — 30th June — 14 14 — — — 30th September 6 9 15 — 2 2 31st December 4 11 15 — 2 2 Totals 10 49 59 — 4 4 SAMPLES EXAMINED BY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT Quarter ended No. examined No. found adulterated 31st March 4 — 30th June 6 — 30th September 5 — 31st December 6 — Totals 21 — TABLE VII Food Premises in the District Number of Grocers 47 „ „ Confectioners 41 „ „ Greengrocers 28 „ „ Butchers 26 „ „ Wet and Dry Fishmongers 9 „ „ Fried Fish Dealers 7 „ „ Chemists 13 „ „ Bakehouses 6 „ „ Public Houses 18 „ „ Restaurants 19 TABLE VIII Food Premises Registered Under Section 16 of Food and Drugs Act, 1955 (a) Storage of Ice Cream intended for sale 66 (b) Preparation or manufacture of sausage and potted, pressed, etc., meats 28 20 PUBLIC HEALTH General Table I lists the number of visits and inspections made during the year by the Public Health Inspectors in the course of their duties. The figures are set out under various sub-headings and the figures for 1961 are given for the purpose of comparison. The total number of visits show a slight increase over the previous year, viz., 395. The figures under most of the headings have not varied to any great degree at least no more than can be accounted for due to the normal variation of work which is dealt with by the Department. Clean Air Act shows a considerable increase but this is accounted for by the larger area which was dealt with during the year. Nuisances and Sanitary Defects In this section there has been an increase of 283 visits. These visits are those made following a complaint by a member of the public and those visits made in following up such complaints to ascertain whether the conditions giving rise to the complaint have been remedied. These visits are closely related to the number of complaints received. Every complaint received, including anonymous complaints, means at least one visit. In the case of many of the complaints received the Inspector can only give advice, but where contraventions of the Public Health Act 1936, or other Acts are concerned the necessary notices for the remedying of the complaint are served on the owner or occupier as the case may be. The number of preliminary notices served during the year shows an increase. Table II of the report gives the number of notices served both in 1961 and 1962 and the results of the servicc of those notices. The relationship between the number of notices and complaints seems to vary widely year by year and is mainly due to the cause of the complaint. Table III which lists the repairs carried out as a result of notices served on owners shows an increase due in the main to the increase in the number of notices served. VERMINOUS PREMISES Six visits were made during the year regarding verminous premises. SCHOOLS, BROOKS & STREAMS, HAIRDRESSERS & BARBERS PREMISES These are routine inspections and do not vary by any extent year by year. 21 FOULING OF FOOTWAYS BY DOGS A number of complaints have been received during the year concerning the fouling of footways by dogs. In all cases the complaints were investigated but usually the complainants are not prepared to give evidence against neighbours or other nearby residents. Posters drawing attention to the provisions of the by-law concerning this matter were exhibited in the areas from which the complaints were received. National Assistance Act, 1948 — Section 50 BURIAL OF THE DEAD Under the above Act the Council may make arrangements for the funeral of persons dying where no provisions have or can be made privately. No cases were dealt with under this section during 1962. SHOPS ACT Routine inspections of shops under this Act have continued and no serious contraventions have been observed during the year. Some of these inspections have to be made outside office hours and on Sundays in order to ascertain that the closing hours and the provisions regarding Sunday trading are being observed. FACTORIES Routine visits to factories and outworkers for the purpose of the Factories Act were made during the year and a total of 173 inspections were made. One contravention of the Act was found and a notice was served on the occupiers of the premises. The number of factories without mechanical power has remained at three. The small number of these factories can quite easily be understood when the definition of "mechanical power" is such that an electric drill will exclude a factory from this category. INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND FOOD POISONING The number of visits made under this heading during the year is 245. This figure shows a decrease of 386 on the previous year during which there was an outbreak of Sonne Dysentery which accounted for the difference. FOOD HYGIENE During the year 2,216 visits were made to various premises in the district where food is handled. 22 Some types of premises require more frequent visits than others by reason of the type of business carried on and this fact is reflected in the figures for restaurants, snack bars and butchers' shops. There is no doubt, whatsoever, that the standards of hygiene observed by food handlers is improving though it has been necessary on several occasions to draw the attention of shop assistants to such unhygienic practices as licking the fingers before picking up wrapping paper and blowing on paper bags to open them. The practice of employing part-time staff in shops raises difficulties. Comments made to the staff during a morning call may well have to be repeated when a subsequent visit is made in the afternoon when there might well be a 50% change in the staff. I am glad to report once again that a number of shops are exhibiting notices requesting customers to refrain from smoking whilst in the shop. It is hoped that the exhibiting of such notices will in time become general practice. Shop keepers continue to ask for the notices supplied free of charge by the Department requesting the public not to take dogs into food shops. When these were first made available shop keepers were hesitant to display them, fearing it is presumed that they might give offence to dog loving customers but during the past two or three years it has been noticeable that the large majority of owners of food shops are only too ready to display them. MILK SUPPLY No applications were received from dealers for Dealer's (Prepacked Milk) Licences under the Milk (Special Designation) Regulations, 1960. Under these Regulations licences issued now remain in force for a period of five years instead of annually as heretofore and supplementary licences are no longer necessary. FOOD AND DRUGS The following table shows the various types of food and drugs sampled during the year:— No. of samples Anchovies, Fillets of 1 Beef Curry 1 Breakfast Cereal 1 Butter 1 Chicken Croquettes 1 Chopped Ham 1 Coffee 1 23 Condensed Milk 1 Confectionary 1 Cooking Oil 1 Crab Paste 1 Cream 1 Cream Cheese Spread 3 Cream Pie 1 Currants 2 Dried Fruit Salad 1 Fish Cakes 1 Ground Almonds 2 Ground Nutmeg 1 Jam 1 Jellies 2 Malt Vinegar 1 Margarine 1 Meat Paste 1 Milk 15 Milk Channel Islands and South Devon 2 Mixed Herbs 1 Lemon Squash 1 Luncheon Meat 3 Orange Squash 2 Raisins 1 Rice 1 Salmon Spread with Butter 1 Sausages, Pork 4 Shredded Suet 1 Soup—Bacon 1 Chicken 1 Cream of Chicken 1 Steak and Kidney Pie 1 Sultanas 1 Tea 1 Tomato Ketchup 1 Tomato Puree 1 Whole Milk Soft Cheese 2 75 24 Of the above mentioned samples four were reported as being unsatisfactory viz: two samples of Chicken Soup, one sample of Pork Sausages and one sample of Breakfast Cereal. CHICKEN SOUPS Both these samples were of dehydrated products. One sample labelled "Cream of Chicken Soup" when prepared according to the instructions on the packet was shown on analysis to contain only one per cent of fat which in the opinion of your Analyst was insufficient for an article described as a "cream soup." Furthermore in respect of this sample the label was not in accordance with the Labelling of Food Order which requires that the ingredients used in a preparation shall be listed in the order of the proportion by weight in which they are present. The second sample labelled "Chicken Soup" was found when prepared according to instructions to contain meat and meat extractives to the extent of 0.5 per cent, a proportion considered insufficient to justify the description "chicken soup." In earlier reports your Analyst has stressed the need for official minimum standards of composition for such soups but the position today is still the same as it was over two years ago and there seems little likelihood as things are at the present of there being any help from official standards. Both these soups were imports from Israel. The distributors in this country were approached and one proved very helpful in endeavouring to get soup properly labelled and the meat content improved. PORK SAUSAGES Although there is still no official standard for the meat content of Pork Sausages, public analysts are of the opinion that such sausages should contain at least 65 per cent of meat. This particular sample, an informal one, purchased from a butcher who has made sausages in the district for some years was found to be deficient in meat to the extent of 15 per cent. A formal sample obtained later had a meat content well above the suggested minimum. Enquiries at the shop revealed that the deficiency in the particular sample was probably due to inefficient mixing of the ingredients due to staff difficulties. BREAKFAST CEREAL A sample of Breakfast Cereal was submitted for analysis after a complaint had been received that a portion contained cigarette ash. Examination showed that the small blackish particles distributed over the surface of the biscuit consisted of charred fragments of wheat and otherwise the cereal was quite fit for consumption. 25 BREAD A loaf purchased from a baker in the district was found by the customer to have a large piece of bitumen bonded paper embedded in it. Inspection of the bakehouse revealed that some of the ingredients used were stored in cardboard cartons, the edges of which were reinforced with this particular type of paper. Some of these cartons were stored on a shelf immediately above the scales used for weighing the ingredients for the dough and there appeared to be no doubt that the piece of paper complained of, fell on to the scale plate and was transferred to the dough mix without being noticed. In subsequent proceedings, the baker, having on previous occasions been prosecuted in respect of a foreign body in a cake, was fined £10 with £5 5s. 0d. costs. A further complaint was received in respect of another loaf of bread which contained some bristles and a piece of copper wire. These were traced to a brush on the moulding machine which was worn and due for replacement. The firm concerned replaced the brushes on this machine at regular intervals. Another loaf was brought to the office containing a metal fastener from a machine belt. On investigation, however, it was found that the bread had been baked outside the district and the complainant was referred to the Public Health Department of that district. These cases proved that where machinery with moving parts is used in the course of food preparation constant inspection of such parts is absolutely necessary if this type of complaint is to be avoided. BREAD ROLL A roll brought to the office during the month of September contained a dead wasp. The baker concerned had taken what might be considered all reasonable precautions to guard his dough against wasps. Unfortunately when the customer returned to the shop with the roll she was not treated very politely by the staff and consequently brought the roll to the Public Health Department. If all shopkeepers were prepared to deal with genuine complaints concerning their goods in a civil manner, I feel there would be little to comment on in this section of my report. BREAKFAST CEREAL A portion of a Breakfast Cereal was found to contain a piece of copper strip l¾in. long and ⅛in. wide. Enquiries showed that electrical work was being carried out in the factory at the time this particular packet of cereal was produced and there was no doubt concerning the source of the strip. The mystery of how the packet passed the electronic detector without the metal being discovered was never solved. The factory concerned has an output of some 3½ million 26 biscuits a day and it speaks highly of the organisation of factories with such a high output that such complaints are as very few. MILK BOTTLES Once again I must comment on the habits of those members of the public who fail to appreciate that the sole purpose of a milk bottle is that of holding milk. Complaints received during 1962 concerned cement in bottles and during November bottles with carbon deposits, indicating that they had probably been used to launch rockets early in the month. ICE CREAM Three applications were received for the registration of premises for the sale of ice cream. The premises and equipment being satisfactory the applications were granted. Ninty-one samples of ice cream were obtained and submitted for bacteriological examination. All the samples were reported Provisional Grade 1. This is the fourth successive year that I have been able to report all the samples of ice cream taken during the year as being Grade 1. There are no premises manufacturing ice cream for sale in the district. All ice cream is obtained from large wholesale firms. HOUSING Clearance Areas There were at the beginning of 1962 eleven confirmed clearance areas affecting 94 houses, only a few of which had been demolished although the greater majority were vacant, the three clearance areas made in 1961 affecting seven houses had not been confirmed. During 1962 the eleven confirmed clearance areas were demolished and public enquiries were held on the three areas made in 1961, that is East Barnet Road, clearance areas Nos. 1 and 2 and Lancaster Road clearance area No. 5. The result of the enquiry on East Barnet Road clearance areas Nos. 1 and 2 was deferred until the position with regard to town planning could be clarified. It appears that before the situation can be cleared a further public enquiry dealing with the town planning position will be necessary. The other public enquiry on Lancaster Road clearance area No. 5, being Nos. 11—13, Lancaster Road, but including No. 15 as grey land, resulted in the minister not confirming the order although the Minister's inspector had found that both of the houses included in the clearance area were unfit and recommended their clearance. At the end of 1961 the Medical Officer of Health had represented to the Council a further clearance area being Mill Corner clearance area affecting three cottages. No decision on this area had been 27 reached at the close of the year. In 1962 the Council made a clearance order on these premises and subsequently this order was confirmed by the Minister. Only one clearance area was made in 1962 being East Barnet Road clearance area No. 3 and affecting three houses being Nos. 120, 122 and 124, East Barnet Road. The Council made a compulsory purchase order on this area in November 1962 but the order had not been confirmed by the end of the year. Demolition and Closing Orders At the beginning of 1962 there were six houses on which demolition orders had been made but the premises had not been demolished and five closing orders in force and on three premises the owners had given undertakings to carry out the works or not use the premises for human habitation. The premises on which demolition orders were outstanding being Nos.:— 74 and 76 Leicester Road 43, 20 and 22 Lancaster Road 9 Edward Grove. The premises on which closing orders were operative were:— 90, 96, 101 East Barnet Road 55 Lyonsdown Road 7 Victoria Road and the premises on which owners had given undertakings were:— 46a and 58a East Barnet Road 1 Hexham Road Nos. 74 and 76 Lancaster Road were demolished during the year and the owners of No. 9 Edward Grove proceeded under section 24 of the Housing Act, 1957, to carry out improvements and reconstruction. This work being in progress at the end of the year. Nos. 43, 20 and 22 Lancaster Road were not demolished at the end of the year. The closing orders listed above are still in operation and the premises are vacant. The undertaking on No. 58a East Barnet Road was determined as the owner had carried out the necessary work to render the premises fit in April 1962. With regard to No. 1 Hexham Road the undertaking to repair the premises was not carried out within the prescribed time and the Council had no alternative but to make a demolition order on the premises. The owner decided to carry out works of improvement and reconstruction under section 24 of the Housing Act 1957 and this work was in progress at the end of the year. During 1962 there were two demolition orders and eleven closing orders made. One of the demolition orders was on No. 1 Hexham Road which has already been mentioned. Details of the other demolition orders and closing orders follows:— 28 23 Victoria Road. This house is a detached two storey dwelling, the main defects were dampness and disrepair. A report was submitted to the Committee in January 1962 and after consideration of the report and the service of notices on the persons interested in the property giving notice of time and place at which the matter would be considered a Demolition Order was made in March 1962. The Committee in 1961 considered reports on the following premises:— 123, 125 and 127 Brunswick Park Road; 16 and 18 Victoria Avenue; 3 Dury Road; 51a East Barnet Road; and 57 Somerset Road and had served notices under the Housing Acts giving the owners and other persons interested in the properties notice of the time and place at which the matter would be considered. In January closing orders were made on 127 Brunswick Park Road; 16 and 18 Victoria Avenue; 51a East Barnet Road; 3 Dury Road; and 57 Somerset Road and in March on 123 and 125 Brunswick Park Road. 131 Lancaster Road. This property is a two storey, brick built, end of terrace dwelling house and was the subject of a report to the Housing Committee in July. The main reasons for this report were extensive internal and external disrepair and severe rising dampness. The Council after consideration of the report and the service of the necessary notices decided in October to make a closing order on the premises. 12 Victoria Avenue. This property is a two storey, terraced brick built house with a slate roof and was the subject of a report to the Housing Committee in July. The main reasons for the report being condition as to damp; disrepair and drainage. The Council after consideration of the report and service of the necessary notices decided in October to make a closing order on the premises. 120 Lancaster Road. This property is a two storey, semi-detached brick built house with a tiled roof and was the subject of a report to the Housing Committee in September. The main reasons for this report were condition as to damp; disrepair. The Council after consideration of the report decided to make a closing order on the premises in December. In 1955 the Council, as required by section 1 of the Housing Repairs and Rent Act, 1954, caused a survey to be made of the District for the purpose of estimating the number of unfit houses in the District. 415 houses were found to come within this category. In the Annual Report for 1961 it was reported that only 68 houses were still to be dealt with and that it appeared that a considerable number of these were not now unfit to the extent that they could be demolished or closed. As far as can be ascertained none of the houses on the original proposals of the Council now justifies demolition, this does not, of course, mean that no further houses will be reported to the Council as unfit as the condition of the houses in any District is not 29 a static factor—some houses due to the owners and tenants may improve while others deteriorate. These houses will come to the notice of the Department in the course of day to day routine and should these conditions warrant, a report to the Committee would be made. It is equally possible that small clearance areas may arise from the same cause. During the year a circular 42/62 from the Ministry of Housing and Local Government requested Councils to select an area in which bathrooms, hot water supplies, indoor W.C.s were lacking and to bring to the notice of owners the system whereby grants could be obtained to carry out these improvements. The Housing Committee considered this circular and decided to recommend that a small area should be selected for this scheme. Visits and inspections in this area were started during the year but owing to the inclement weather not much progress was made. CLEAN AIR ACT, 1956 During the year of 1962 the Council have continued with their programme under the Act. At the end of 1961 there were two areas operative containing 1,731 domestic dwellings and a third area was awaiting the Minister's approval. This area was considerably larger than the previous ones and contained 1,160 domestic dwellings with approximately 2,046 fireplaces requiring adaptation, at an estimated cost of £16,524. The Order was approved without modification and immediately the approval was received the necessary forms and explanatory memoranda were sent to all the owners and occupiers in the area. During the period between the date on which the Order was approved and the date on which it became operative applications for approval of works of adaptation necessary to make the premises comply with the above Act were received from approximately 60% of the houses estimated to require such works. It has been a feature of all the areas that have been dealt with up to the present that only 50% to 60% of the houses known to require works of adaptation make application for grants under the above Act. However, when the Orders become operative very few contraventions of the Act, that is smoke being emitted from flues, are noiced and in such cases when the contravention is brought to the notice of the occupiers either verbally or in writing the offence ceases. Since the Act came into force and the Council decided to institute a programme which will make the whole of the Urban District smokeless in a period of 12 years the general attitude of the public has been one of co-operation. This co-operation has undoubtedly made the work of the Department much easier and if it had not been 30 coming would have resulted in a complete breakdown of the programme for the District. In January 1962 a circular received from the Ministry of Housing and Local Government considerably simplified the forms required when submitting a Smoke Control Area for approval. While any simplification in the system of making or administering smoke control areas is very welcome, this simplification is similar to that of a teacher at a school who only wishes to see the answers to any arithmetic questions but may, of course, require to see the workings if he thinks fit. This doesn't reduce the work required by the pupil. At the end of 1962 the area of the District which is the subject of Smoke Control Orders is the area bounded by Longmore Avenue from the railway bridge, East Barnet Road to Cat Hill, Cat Hill to Park Road, then northwards along Park Road and northeasterly along Edgworth Road to the roundabout and north to the Urban District boundary. The eastside of the area is the Urban District boundary to the southern side of Oak Hill Park, the southern edge of the area is westerly along the southern edge of Oak Hill Park to Pymmes Brook, Parkside Gardens, Avondale Avenue to the Urban District boundary. On the west by the Urban District boundary and the railway to the bridge over Longmore Avenue. The area at present subject to Smoke Control Orders comprises 2,891 domestic dwellings. The December meeting of the Council approved Smoke Control Area No. 4, the Order was sent to the Minister for confirmation. This area is bounded on the north by the rear boundary of the gardens of the houses on the north side of Cedar Rise, the northern boundary of Monkfrith School and the southern boundary of Oak Hill Park as far as Pymmes Brook; on the east by the Urban District boundary, on the south by the north side of Chase Way, crossing Hampden Way and the north side of the passage way between No. 70 and No. 72 Hampden Way, No. 70 being in the area and then in a S.W. direction to Pymmes Brook; on the west by Pymmes Brook. This area contains 1,365 private dwellings and it is estimated that 1,356 fireplaces require conversion or adaptation to satisfactorily burn smokeless fuel. The total capital cost of this work would be approximately £15.740 of which the net estimated capital cost to the Council would be £4,722 after Exchequer grants had been received. This cost would, of course, only be realized if all the owners applied for grant and from previous experience this seems to be very unlikely. In previous areas as mentioned earlier in this report, the figure seems more likely to be about 60% of the total. This area is the largest area which has, at present, been dealt with although the number of fireplaces requiring adaptation is not as large as Area No. 3 and consequently not so costly. 31 PUBLIC MEETING In October a Public Meeting was held in St. Martin's Church Hall with a programme similar to the meetings held in previous years. There were about 150 people present, the hall being filled almost to capacity. The Chairman of the General Purposes Committee opened the meeting and films dealing with the subject of clean air were shown. A panel consisting of the Chairman of the General Purposes Committee, members of the Coal, Electricity and Gas Boards, the Medical Officer of Health and myself answered questions invited from the audience. These followed a similar pattern to those put at previous meetings and although they were still forthcoming, the meeting had to be closed at 10 p.m. The Eastern Electricity and Eastern Gas Boards both had exhibitions of suitable fires and heaters in the hall and this exhibition attracted much attention. The Council has continued to participate in the scheme for the measurement of air pollution and the necessary equipment has been in operation since early in 1962. The information derived from this equipment is forwarded to a central laboratory and forms part of the scheme for the estimation of air pollution in the Greater London Area. In connection with this scheme some very interesting measurements were obtained during the period 3rd—7th December inclusive, the week of the last 'smog'. Smoke concentration: Av. per 5 days 1090 u/cu.m. Lowest reading 24 hrs. 932 u/cu.m. Highest reading 1368 u/cu.m. S02 concentration: Av. per 5 days 1356 u/cu.m. Lowest reading 24 hrs. 771 u/cu.m. Highest reading 1654 u/cu.m. In order that these figures may be assessed the following are the figures for the four days immediately before and the four days immediately following these dates. Smoke concentration: Av. per 8 days 163 u/cu.m. Lowest reading 24 hrs. 56 u/cu.m. Highest reading 24 hrs. 252 u/cu.m. S02 concentration: Av. per 8 days 206 u/cu.m. Lowest reading 24 hrs. 107 u/cu.m. Highest reading 24 hrs. 243 u/cu.m. The amount of work due to the operation of the Clean Air Act has again been considerable. This has been particularly noticeable in the office due to the large increase in the number of enquiries both in the public office and over the telephone. To cope with this increase an additional clerk was appointed at the end of the year. 32 WATER SUPPLY The Lee Valley Water Company supplies the district with its water supply. This supply is largely obtained from deep wells sunk into chalk. The Company took 2,287 samples of water representative of supply for bacteriological examination over the whole of its area of supply. Of these only 26 contained E Coli, giving a percentage of purity of 98.9 per cent. During the year the Water Company took 27 samples of water for bacteriological examination from the local supply. All these samples were satisfactory. In addition to the above 10 water samples for bacteriological examination were submitted by the Department to the Laboratory at Coppetts Wood Hospital. All these samples were satisfactory. INFESTATIONS RODENT CONTROL During the year 373 complaints of rats and mice were investigated and where necessary the premises adjoining the houses from which the original complaints were received were also visited. In consequence 767 properties were inspected for the presence of rats and mice. Of these properties 392 were found to have signs of infestations and were treated. The number of complaints received during 1962 shows a considerable decrease over the previous year. This is the first year since 1959 when the number has been less than in the previous year. The infestations were all of a minor character though one or two were difficult to eradicate. Warfarin has been used in the majority of cases though where difficulty has been experienced further treatments using a different poison have usually produced results. INSECT CONTROL The majority of complaints regarding infestation of premises by insects were those of carpet beetles, moths and wasps. All complaints were investigated and advice given and where necessary insecticides applied free of cost. During the year 13 wasp nests were destroyed. This figure is not as high as that for 1961 and the decrease is undoubtedly due to the increase in the charge authorised by the Council in respect of this service. However, it should be remembered that the charge, viz: 25/is a realistic figure and relates directly to the cost of the work to the Council. The charge is, in any case, considerably lower than that made by outside firms specialising in insect eradication. 33 OTHER INSPECTIONS PET SHOPS Three persons are licensed to keep pet shops in the district and visits are made periodically to the premises. In each case the business has been found to be carried on satisfactorily. 34