library EIR 29 BOROUGH OF ERITH. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Medical Officer of Health FOR THE YEAR ENDED 1949 BY john landon M.R.G.S., L.R.C.P., D.P.H. BOROUGH OF ERITH With the bompliments of the Medical offi cer of Health. BOROUGH OF ERITH. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Medical Officer of Health FOR THE YEAR ENDED 1949 BY john landon M.R.G.S., L.R.C.P., D.P.H. Printed by Freame, Manning 6- CoLtd. Lewisham, S.E. 13 Arrangement of Report. Section Page A Statistics and Social Conditions of the Area 1. Physical Situation and Amenities 7 2. Comparative Rainfall 7 3. Unemployment Figures and Comments 8 4. Statistics 8 (a) General 8 (b) Births, Birth Rate, Still Births, Still Birth Rates 8 (c) Deaths, Death Rate, Maternal Mortality Rate 9 (d) Infant Mortality 9 (e) Summary of Vital Statistics for year 1949 10 (f) Vital Statistics of whole District during 1949 and previous years 11 (g) Table showing Summary of Causes of Death during 1949 12 (h) Comparison of Maternal Mortality Rate 13 (i) Infant Mortality—Causes of death and table of comparison 14 B Maternity and Child Welfare Services 1. Child Welfare Services 15 2. Maternity Services—Hainault Maternity Home 15 C. Prevalence of and Control over Infectious and other Diseases 1. Notifications 16 (a) Age Distribution 17 2. Tuberculosis 18 (a) New cases notified during 1949 18 (b) Deaths 18 (c) Quarterly Statements for year 1949 19 3. Scabies 20 4. Diphtheria Immunisation 20 5. Smallpox 21 D General Provision of Health Services for the Area 1. General Hospital Facilities 22 2. Infectious Disease Hospitals 22 3. Tuberculosis Treatment and Hospital Accommodation 22 4. Venereal Diseases 22 i Section Page 5. Ambulance Service 22 6. School Clinics 22 7. Maternity and Child Welfare Centres 23 8. Maternity Homes 23 9. Private Nursing Homes 23 10. Day Nurseries 23 11. Laboratory Facilities 23 12. Mortuary 24 13. Disinfection Services 24 E Sanitary Circumstances of the Area 1. Refuse Collection and Disposal 25 (a) Costs 25 (b) Details of Refuse Collection Vehicles and Staff 25 (c) Details of Tonnage 26 2. Trade Refuse 26 3. Salvage 26 4. Public Conveniences 26 5. Sanitary Inspection of the Area 27 (a) Visits by Sanitary Inspectors 27 (b) Premises visited and results of such visits 27 (c) Summary of Nuisances and defects remedied during the year 27 (d) Closet accommodation and cesspools 28 (e) Smoke Abatement 28 (f) Swimming Baths and Pools 28 (g) Camping Sites 29 (h) Hop Pickers 29 (i) Rag Flock Act. 29 (j) Eradication of Bed Bugs 29 (k) Mosquito Control 29 (l) Rodent Control 29 (m) Pest Control 30 (n) Offensive trades 30 6. Factories 31 (i) Inspection 31 (ii) Defects Found 31 7. Shops Acts, 1912-1938 31 8. Offices 32 9. Effluvia from River Thames 32 10. Housing 33 (a) Inspection of Dwelling Houses during the year 33 (b) Remedy of Defects during the year 33 ii Section Page 11. Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1939 34 12. Legal Proceedings 34 F Water Supply—Milk and Food and Drugs 1. Water Supply 35 2. (a) Dairies and Milk Stores 36 (b) Bacterological Examination of Milk 36 (c) Designated Milk 36 (d) Ice Cream 36 3. Food and Drugs Act, 1938, Sections 3 and 68, Routine Sampling 37 4. Meat and Food Inspection 38 5. Sale of Horseflesh 39 6. Slaughter of Animals Act, 1933 39 7. Food Hygiene Activities 39 8. Food Hygiene and Health Exhibition 39 G General 1. Members of Committees 2 2. Staff of Public Health Deparlment 3 3. Introductory remarks of Medical Cfficer cf Health 4 4. Legislation in force 40 iii 2 G (1) BOROUGH OF ERITH Mayor :—Alderman F. T. Ellis, J.P. (1948-1949) Deputy Mayor :— Councillor W. F. Alford, J.P. (1948-1949) Mayor :— Councillor J. N. Powrie, J.P., K.C.C. (1949-1950) Deputy Mayor :— Alderman F. T. Ellis, J.P. (1949-1950) Health Committee Chairman :—Councillor G. Farquhar* Councillor J. E. Burgessj Alderman Mrs. L. F. Christian, J.P. Members of Committee 1 st January 1948—May 1949 May 1949—May 1950 Aldermen Mrs. L. F. Christian, J.P. Mrs. F. M. Ewens Mrs. L. F. Christian, J.P. Mrs. F. M. Ewens C. F. Morling Councillors F. F. Baker H. Booker E. Handy J. N. Powrie, J.P., K.C.C. J. Watkins Ex-Officio Members W. F. Alford F. W. E. Gilder E. Handy Mrs. H. A. Jerome T. G. Tuffee. Ex-Officio Members A Icier men F. T. Ellis, J.P. T. C. Pannell, M.P. F. T. Ellis, J.P. G. W. H. Luck T. C. Pannell, M.P. Councillors W. F. Alford, J.P. J. N. Powrie, J.P., K.C.C. *Owing to the death of Councillor G. Farquhar on the 4.5.1949 Councillor J. E. Burgess was elected Chairman. †Resigned 2.12.1949. 3 G (2) PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF Medical Officer of Health John Landon, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., D.P.H. (Acts, also, as Medical Officer of Health for the Borough of Bexley and the Urban District of Crayford. Appointed February 12th, 1949 in succession to Dr. C. G. K. Thompson, who resigned on that date). Senior Sanitary Inspector :— L. E. King, M.R. San, I., Cert. S.I.E.B., Meat Inspectors Certificate. Sanitary Inspectors :— J. Hacker, M.R.San.I., Cert. S.I.E.B., Meat. Inspectors Certificate. E. Newman, M.R.San.I., Cert. S.I.E.B., Meat Inspectors Certificate (Resigned 31.5.49) A. J. Gould, Cert. S.I.E.B. (appointed 27.6.49). Pupil Sanitary Inspector :— P. R. Hickson. Sanitary and Salvage Foreman :— H. W. Cooper. Transferred to staff of Borough Engineer and Surveyor during 1949. * Matron in Charge of Maternity Home :— Miss L. M. Barclay, S.R.N., S.C.M. Chief Clerk :— J. M. Roberts. Clerks :— Shorthand-typist :— General Clerk :— Junior Clerk :— Mrs. E. A. Shaw F. A. Howard. M. J. Butler. (At present in H. M. Forces). L. G. Whitman. *Clerk at Hainault Maternity Home :—Miss S. Graham. *Transferred to Regional Hospital Board, March 31st, 1949, when agency arrangements for the administration of the Maternity Home ceased. 4 To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough of Erith. Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen, The year, 1949, was the first full year following the passing of the National Health Service Act 1946, in which the Council, through its Health Department, found itself shorn of its Maternity and Child Welfare functions and its Maternity Home and restricted in its statutory duties to the field of environmental health. This contraction in its range of duties, which was shared by many so called 44 minor " authorities up and down the Country, was reflected, locally, in the appointment of a Joint Medical Officer of Health to serve the Boroughs of Erith and Bexley and the Urban District of Crayford. There can be no doubt that, initially, the loss of the Part III services brought with it a sense of frustration but this did not long survive. Indeed, it was not long before it became evident that although much had been lost, much (and the greater part) remained. I set out below some of the chief problems with which the Health Department had to contend. In common with the rest of the country, housing is still the main obstacle to full health in the Borough. The shortage of separate accommodation for newly married couples who have to live with relatives is a major source of unhappiness and of mental ill-health. Many of these cases are brought to our notice by a call of the person affected to the Health Department, while many more are discovered during visits by the Sanitary Inspectors who, during the year, carried out 3,172 inspections either under the Public Health or Housing Acts. It may be that, in most cases of housing difficulty, there is little that can be done in view of the limited accommodation available but each case has to be examined critically and sympathetically to ascertain whether a special reference to the Housing Committee would be justified. The question of tuberculosis in relation to housing is as grave as ever. The discharge of chronic cases to their homes and the failure to provide proper isolation for" open " cases awaiting admission to hospital have set up a vicious circle which can only be broken by an increase in the available number of hospital beds, the provision of domiciliary treatment where necessary, and a vigorous policy of B.C.G. inoculation of the young and their removal, if necessary, for a period from the source of infection while their immunity is developing. In the meantime, the relief of overcrowding in 5 tuberculous families has, in many cases, received the attention of the Council although there is a great task still ahead. It will be noticed that, although the deaths from Tuberculosis have decreased from 36 in 1948 to 9 in 1949 the number of notified cases increased during the year to 87 as compared with 79 in 1948. There is nothing here to give any cause whatever for complacency. During the year, the Department was called upon to investigate the living conditions of many old people who, besides being, in many cases, incapacitated, were living alone and dependent to a considerable degree on any help they could obtain from good neighbours and friends. It has been found that many of these old people required admission to hospital and this has proved to be a matter of considerable difficulty in view of the lack of beds or, more accurately, of nursing staff. I would like to place on record, however, the co-operation which we have obtained from the Woolwich Hospital Management Committee who have considered each case on its merits and have given every assistance under circumstances of great difficulty. Attention is drawn to the Senior Sanitary Inspector's report on page 32 relating to effluvia from the River Thames, which have been a cause of discomfort to people in many parts of the Borough. The remedy is, unfortunately, a long term one and until radical action is taken by the London County Council to improve the sewage effluents from the Barking and Crossness outfalls a recurrence of this nuisance may be expected, especially if the summer temperature should be high and the up-river flow reduced as a result of low rainfall. Although there were no deaths in the Borough from notifiable infectious disease during the year under review, it is necessary to exercise constant care in regard to cases of dysentery and the diarrhoeal diseases in general and the episode of the S.S. Mooltan has served to show that smallpox may still rear its head in our midst and requires constant vigilance in regard to contacts arriving by sea or by air. The tendency of Poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis) in recent years to adopt epidemic form is a distressing feature that also creates many additional Public Health problems. Health Education is one of the main functions of the Health Department and attention is drawn to the comprehensive Clean Food Exhibition which was held in April 1949. Plans have now been made for a Joint Clean Food Campaign in conjunction with the Borough of Bexley and the Urban District 6 of Crayford and a Food Traders Guild has been formed for the combined area. Codes of practice are being adopted and arrangements are afoot for a further exhibition, film shows, public lectures, etc. to stimulate public interest in this matter. The Vital Statistics of the Borough are generally satisfactory. The birth rate for 1949 was 17.00 as compared with 18.96 in 1948 and 22.6 per 1,000 population in 1947. The death rate in 1949 was 9.95 compared with 9.9 in 1948 and compared with a rate of 11.7 per 1,000 population for the Country as a whole. This year for the first time since the commencement of World War II the Registrar General has supplied an area comparability factor for securing comparison between death rates of the different districts. This figure which is 1.08 for the Borough of Erith gives a corrected death rate of 10.75. There was an excess of live births over deaths of 330 during the year. Deaths from heart disease and cancer again increased as compared with the previous year. The number of infants dying in the first year of life was 19 compared with 20 in 1948. Although this was a reduction of 1 in the actual deaths, the infantile mortality rate of 1949 was higher than that for 1948, being 23.9 per 1,000 live births compared with 22.8 in 1948. This' would be accounted for by the fact that there were fewer live births in 1949 than in 1948, 795 compared with 877. Although the rate for the Borough of Erith is higher this year than last it is still below that for the Country as a whole, 23.9 compared with 32 per 1,000 live births for England and Wales. Theinfant mortality rate for the Borough is nevertheless still one of the lowest on record. In conclusion, I wish to thank the Council for their support and encouragement during the year. My thanks are also due to the Senior Sanitary Inspector, the Chief Clerk, and all members of the Health Department for their loyal help and devotion to duty at all times. I am, Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, JOHN LANDON, Medical Officer of Health. 7 SECTION A STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA. Annual Report 1949 A (1) Physical Situation and Amenities. Erith is situated in the north west corner of Kent, and bounded on the north-east by the River Thames, to which it has a frontage of about 4 miles ; on the west by the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich and the Borough of Bexley ; and on the south by the Borough of Bexley and Urban District of Crayford. The residential parts of the Borough consist of areas in Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Northumberland Heath and the southern portion of the town, all of which are well wooded and excellently situated. The main arterial road connects the town with London, 10 miles distant, good rail transport facilities being provided by British Railways. Chief industries are light and heavy engineering, edible oil refining, chemical works, coal shipping and lighterage and production of building materials, e.g. stoneware, plastic boards, asbestos, etc. A (2) Comparative Rainfall. 1949 Inches 1948 January 1.19 February 1 .18 March 0.62 April 1.44 May 1.90 June 0.98 July 0.41 August 0.82 September 0.82 October 6.86 November 2.88 December 1.43 Total 20 .43 Total 26.54 Abnormally high tides in March resulted in ingress of river water to two areas adjacent to the river front, i.e. West Street and the north end of Norman Road. In neither case was flooding serious, no dwellings or other premises being materially affected. 8 A (3) Unemployment Figures and Comments With the co-operation of the Manager of Erith Employment Exchange, to whom I am indebted for the necessary information, it is once again possible to give definite figures with regard to the state of unemployment in the district, as shown in the following table. Erith and District Unemployment Figures 1939—1949 Month and year Males Females Total 18 and over Under 18 18 and over Under 18 December, 1939 373 31 299 48 751 December, 1940 75 3 255 37 370 December, 1941 39 y 17 44 17 117 December, 1942 38 1 39 5 83 December, 1943 27 1 6 5 39 December, 1944 31 — 6 3 40 December, 1945 91 1 133 1 226 December, 1946 177 12 58 13 260 December, 1947 131 4 94 5 234 December, 1948 208 7 129 2 346 December, 1949 111 8 153 3 275 Throughout the year 1949, Industry in Erith and District has continued to maintain a high level of employment, which is reflected in the comparatively low unemployment figures. A (4) STATISTICS A (4)a General Area :—4,607 acres. Population figure supplied by Registrar General :— Total i.e., Civilian and Non-Civilian—46,770 Civilian—46,730 Density of population, i.e. No. of persons per acre:—10.15 No. of inhabited houses at 31st December 1949 :—12,208 Rateable value at 31st December, 1949 :—£337,251 Sum produced by a penny rate, 1949 :—£1,334 9s. Id. EXTRACTS FROM VITAL STATISTICS FOR YEAR, 1949 A(4)b. Births Male Female Total Live Births. Legitimate 376 397 773 Illegitimate 17 5 22 393 402 795 9 Live Birth rate per 1,000 Total Population (Registrar General's Figures) :—17.00 Live Birth rate, England and Wales :—16.7 Corresponding rate for the Borough of Erith for year Male Female Total Still Births. Legitimate 6 7 13 Illegitimate — — — 6 7 13 Still Birth rate per 1,000 total births :—16.09 Still Birth rate per 1,000 Total Population :—0.28 Still Birth rate per 1,000 Total Population, England and Wales 0.39 A(4)c. Deaths Male :—239 Female : —226 Total :—465 Death rate per 1,000 civilian population :—9.95 Death rate corrected for comparison with other areas :— 10.75 (Comparability factor supplied by Registrar General)—1.08 Corresponding rate for 1948 :—9.9 Death rate per 1,000 total population England and Wales (1949) 11.7 Number of Women dying in or in consequence of childbirth :—1 Maternal Mortality rate per 1,000 total births :—1.24 Comparative figure for England and Wales :—0.98 A (4)d. Infant Mortality. Deaths of Infants under 1 year of age : Male Female Total Legitimate 11 6 17 Illegitimate 1 1 2 12 7 19 Death rate of infants under one year of age per 1,000 live births :—23.9 Death rate of infants under one year of age per 1,000 live births, England and Wales :—32.0 Total number of deaths from :— 1948 1949 Measles (all ages) 1 — Whooping cough 2 — Diarrhoea (under 2 years of age) — 1 10 A (4)e Summary of Vital Statistics for the Year 1949 England and Wales 126 County Boro's & Great towns including London 148 smaller towns (Resident population 25,00050,000 at 1931 census London Administrative County Borough of Erith Rates per 1,000 Civilian Population Births :— Live births 16.7(a) 18.7 18.0 18.5 17.00 Still births 0.39(a) 4.47 0.40 0.37 .28 Deaths :— All causes 11.7(a) 12.5 11.6 12.2 9.95 Typhoid and Paratyphoid 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Whooping Cough 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.00 Diphtheria.. 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Tuberculosis 0.45 0.52 0.42 0.52 0.19 Influenza 0.15 0.15 0.14 0.11 0.15 Smallpox 0.00 0.00 — — 0.00 Acute Poliomyelitis & Polioencephalitis 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.01 0.00 Pneumonia 0.51 0.56 0.49 0.59 0.54 Deaths :— Rates per 1,000 Live Births All causes under 1 year of age 32(b) 37 30 29 23.9 Enteritis and Diarrhoea under 2 years of age 3 0 3.8 2.4 1.7 1.26 Notifications :— Rates per 1,000 Civilian Population. (Corrected) Typhoid Fever 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.00 Paratyphoid Fever 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.00 Cerebro-spinal Fever 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.02 0.02 Scarlet Fever 1.63 1.12 1.83 1.46 2.48 Whooping Cough 2.39 2.44 2.39 1.70 3.15 Diphtheria.. 0.04 0.05 0.04 0.07 0.04 Erysipelas 0.19 .20 0.19 0.17 0.15 Smallpox 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Measles 8.95 8.91 9.18 8.54 9.95 Pneumonia 0.80 0.91 0.65 0.55 0.45 Acute Poliomyelitis 0.13 0.13 0.12 0.18 0.17 Acute Polioencephalitis 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.00 Food Poisoning .. 0.14 0.16 0.14 0.19 0.00 Rates per 1,000 Total (Live & Still) Births. Puerperal Fever and Pyrexia 6.31 8.14 5.30 6.82 6.19 (a) Rates per 1,000 Total Population, (b) Per 1,000 related live births. 11 > Year Population Figure according to Registrar General No. of Live Births according to Registrar General Live Births Rate per 1,000 population No. of Deaths according to Registrar General Death rate per 1,000 Population No. of Deaths of infants under 1 year of age Infant Mortality Rate per 1,000 live births A (4)f Vital Statistics of Whole District during 1949 and previous years 1938 39,800 634 15.87 390 9.8 34 53.62 1939 41,870 721 17.22 452 10.98 31 44.28 1940 40,210 721 17.8 486 12.8 24 37.17 1941 36,520 606 16.8 473 17.00 23 37.95 1942 37,340 734 19.6 415 11 .1 26 45.4 1943 37,890 822 21.6 439 11.58 35 42.57 1944 36,780 895 24.3 463 12.5 44 49.16 1945 38,270 732 19.13 451 11.78 29 39.61 1946 42,900 958 22.3 446 10.4 31 32.3 1947 44,350 1,006 22.6 493 11.1 34 33.7 1948 46,250 877 18.96 458 9.9 20 22.8 1949 46,730 (Civilian) 46,770 (Total) 795 17.00* 465 9.95† (Corrected) 10.75 19 23.9 *Per 1,000 total Population †Per 1,000 Civilian Population 12 A (4)g Table showing Summary of Causes of Death during the year ended 31st December, 1949 Cause of Death Males Females Total 1 Typhoid Fever, etc. 2 Cerebro-Spinal Fever — — — 3 Scarlet Fever — — — 4 Whooping Cough — — — 5 Diphtheria — — — 6 Tuberculosis of resp. system 3 6 9 7 Other forms of Tuberculosis — — — 8 Syphilitic diseases 1 1 9 Influenza 5 2 7 10 Measles — — — 11 Ac. polio-myel. & polioencephalitis — — — 12 Ac. Inf. Enceph. — — — 13 Cancer of b. cav & oesoph. 4 8 12 14 Cancer of stomach and duodenum 8 9 17 15 Cancer of breast — 8 8 16 Cancer of all other sites 34 20 54 17 Diabetes — 3 3 18 Intra-cran. vase, lesions 19 21 40 19 Heart disease .. 79 72 151 20 Other diseases of circ. system 7 15 22 21 Bronchitis 19 12 31 22 Pneumonia 17 8 25 23 Other resp. diseases 1 1 2 24 Ulcer of Stomach or duodenum 6 1 7 25 Diarrhoea under 2 years 1 — 1 26 Appendicitis — — — 27 Other digve. diseases 3 9 12 28 Nephritis 2 4 6 29 Puer. & Post-abort, sepsis. — — — 30 Other maternal causes — 1 1 31 Premature birth 3 4 7 32 Con. mal. birth inj. infant dis. 5 2 7 33. Suicide — 1 1 34 Road traffic accident 5 1 6 35 Other violent causes 7 4 11 36 All other causes 10 14 24 Total all causes 239 226 465 13 A (4)h Comparison of Maternal Mortality Rate Yearly Maternal Mortality rates are given Year Maternal Deaths Live Births Still Births Maternal Mortality Rate per 1,000 total Births 1921 3 735 11 4.0 1922 3 644 22 4.5 1923 1 623 14 1.57 1924 1 558 13 1.75 1925 — 602 9 — 1926 3 546 9 5.4 1927 1 532 — 1.88 1928 3 513 — 5.84 1929 1 547 11 1.82 1930 2 488 17 3.96 1931 — 492 7 — 1932 2 475 13 4.2 1933 1 492 10 2.03 1934 1 481 17 1.96 1935 2 525 19 3.67 1936 1 510 18 1.96 1937 1 605 20 1.52 1938 3 634 22 4.57 1939 3 721 24 4.28 1940 1 721 24 1.38 1941 1 606 23 1.65 1942 2 734 28 2.6 1943 3 822 21 3.65 1944 2 895 18 2.2 1945 — 732 17 — 1946 — 958 23 — 1947 1 1,006 27 0.9 1948 2 877 12 2.25 1949 1 795 13 1.24 14 A (4) i. Infant Mortality Nineteen infants died before reaching one year of age, giving an infant mortality rate of 23.9 per 1,000 live births. The comparable figure for the whole of the country is 32. Of the 19 children who died, 14 died before reaching the age of one month, giving a neo-natal mortality rate of 17.6 per 1,000 live births. Analysis of the causes of death and of the age at death reveals the following figures :— Causes of death as Certified Age at time of death Total deaths under 1 year Under one day 1-7 days 1-2 weeks 2-3 weeks 3 weeks-1 month Total under 1 month 1-3 months 3-6 months 6-9 months 9-12 months Prematurity 3 4 — — — 7 — — — — 7 Congenital Heart Disease — — — 1 1 2 — — — — 2 Asphyxia 2 — — — — 2 — 1 — — 3 BronchoPneumonia — 2 — — — 2 — 1 — — 3 Atelectasis 1 — — — — 1 — — — — 1 Acute Bronchitis associated with Congenital Heart Disease — — — — — — 1 — — — 1 Gastro-Enteritis — — — — — — 1 — — — 1 Subarachnoid Haemorrhage & Contusion of brain due to fall — — — — — — — — — 1 1 Totals 6 6 — 1 1 14 2 2 — 1 19 15 Below is given a table showing the Infant Mortality rates at five yearly intervals since 1920 and for the years 1946, 1947, 1948 and 1949. Year Erith England and Wales 1920 60.5 83 1925 56.48 75 1930 65.6 60 1935 40.00 39 1940 37.17 55 1945 39.61 46 1946 32.3 43 1947 33.7 41 1948 22.8 34 1949 23.9 32 SECTION B. MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE SERVICES B (1) Child Welfare Services These services are now administered by the Kent County Council. B (2) Maternity Services. Maternity Home—Hainault. The Erith Borough Council continued the administration of Hainault Maternity Home on an agency basis until 31st March 1949, after which date the agency was terminated and the Woolwich Group Hospital Management Committee took over administration of the Home. Below is given a summary of the admissions and births during the period January 1st—March 31st 1949. No. of admissions (January 1st March 31st) 129 No. of live babies born (January 1st March 31st) 127 No. of still births (January 1st March 31st) 1 No. of Ante-Natal Admissions (January 1st March 31st) 2 No. of babies who died (January 1st March 31st) 1 No. of abnormalities 0 16 SECTION C.—PREVALENCE OF AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES C (1) Notifications. The following table shows the total number of notifications during the year 1949. Disease Total No. of cases notified Cases admitted to infectious disease hospital Total No. of Deaths among notified cases Scarlet Fever 116 73 — Whooping Cough 147 — — Acute Poliomyelitis 8 10* — Measles 448 — — Diphtheria 1 1 — Acute Pneumonia 21 7 — Dysentery 4 1 — Erysipelas 7 1 — Cerebro-Spinal Fever 1 2† — Puerperal Pyrexia 5 4 — Gastro Enteritis 2 2 1 Total Cases 760 101 1 *Two cases were admitted to Hospital as suspected Poliomyelitis but the diagnosis was not confirmed. fOne case of Cerebro-Spinal Fever was re-diagnosed on admission. One case of Gastro Enteritis originally notified in this district was found to be living in an adjacent area and the notification was transferred to that area. One case originally diagnosed as Puerperal Pyrexia was subsequently withdrawn. Four cases originally notified as Diphtheria were subsequently re-diagnosed, one as Glandular Fever, one as tonsilitis, one as Vincents Angina, and one as Tuberculous Meningitis. In the case which was re-diagnosed as tonsilitis, the fresh diagnosis was not notified to the Health Department until after the dispatch of the return to the Registrar General for the September quarter of 1949. 17 C (l)a Age Distribution The following table shows the age distribution of cases of Infectious Disease notified during the year Disease Age Groups under 1 year 1-3 3-5 5-10 10-15 15-25 25-45 45-65 65 & over Age not known Totals M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F Scarlet Fever — — 2 2 19 19 41 26 2 3 — — — 2 — — — — — — 116 Whooping Cough 8 8 21 22 13 27 16 21 2 4 — 2 1 2 — — — — — — 147 Acute Poliomyelitis 1 — 1 2 — — — 1 — — 1 1 1 — — — — — — 8 Measles 10 8 57 62 48 60 90 110 1 1 1 — — — — — — — — — 448 Diphtheria — — — — — — — — — — — 1 — — — — — — — — 1 Acute Pneumonia 5 2 — — — — 2 — — — 2 — — — 5 — 2 2 — 1 21 Dysentery 2 — — — — — — — — — — 1 — — — — — — — 1 4 Erysipelas — — — — — — — — — — 1 2 — — 1 1 — 2 — — 7 Cerebro Spinal Fever 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 1 Puerperal Pyrexia — — — — — — — — — — — 1 — 4 — — — — — — 5 Gastro-Enteritis 1 — 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 2 Totals 28 18 81 87 82 106 149 157 6 8 4 8 2 9 6 1 2 4 — 2 760 18 C (2) Tuberculosis C (2)a New Cases. Notified for the first time during 1949 Age Respiratory N on-Respiratory Total 0— — — — 1— 2 2 5— 5 — 5 10— 8 2 10 15— 8 1 9 20— 12 2 14 25— 16 — 16 35— 18 — 18 45— 7 — 7 55— 5 — 5 65 & over 1 — 1 Totals 82 5 87 In addition to the above cases 1 person was restored to the register having previously been removed, and 2 persons were transferred into the district from other areas. C (2)b. Deaths According to the figures supplied by the RegistrarGeneral the following is the number of deaths from Tuberculosis during the year. Tuberculosis of Respiratory system Other forms of Tuberculosis All forms of Tuberculosis Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total 3 6 9 —— — — 3 6 9 19 C (2)c Quarterly Statements for the Year 1949 Tuberculosis 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter M F Total M F Total M F Total M F Total Respiratory Tuberculosis Number on register at commencement of Quarter 164 134 298 178 139 317 190 142 332 197 148 345 New notifications during Quarter 16 8 24 12 9 21 7 10 17 14 6 20 Cases removed, which have been restored 1 — 1 — — — — — — — — — Cases added other than by formal notification — 1 1 — — — 1 — 1 — — — Cases removed from register during Quarter 3 4 7 — 6 6 1 4 5 5 4 9 Cases remaining on register at end of Quarter 178 139 317 190 142 332 197 148 345 206 150 356 Non-Respiratory Tuberculosis Number on register at commencement of Quarter 38 40 78 38 39 77 36 39 75 37 40 77 New notifications during Quarter 1 — 1 — 1 1 1 1 2 1 — 1 Cases removed, which have been restored — — — — — — — — — — — — Cases added other than by formal notification — — — — — — — — — — — — Cases removed from register during Quarter 1 1 2 2 1 3 — — — — — — Cases remaining on register at end of Quarter 38 39 77 36 39 75 37 40 77 38 40 78 Total of Respiratory and NonRespiratory Cases on Register at end of Quarter 216 178 394 226 181 407 234 188 422 244 190 434 Respiratory Non-Respiratory Total Number of cases left on the register at end of 1949 is as follows 206males 150females 38 males 40females 434 20 C (3). Scabies Although the Scabies Order, 1941, was revoked on the first of January 1948, the Department continued to treat cases and contacts as soon as it became aware of them. During the year 5 cases and 4 contacts, involving 3 families were dealt with. A joint arrangement exists with the Bexley Borough Council for the treatment of verminous persons and the disinfection and disinfestation of clothing, bedding, etc. C (4) Diphtheria Immunisation This service is now administered by the Kent County Council, having been transferred on July 5th, 1948. The latest figures supplied by the County Medical Officer of Health show the position at December 31st, 1949, and are given below. It is interesting to note that no case of Diphtheria occurred in an immunised child. Diphtheria Immunisation Table A:—Number of children resident in the Borough of Erith who were given immunising injections during 1949 Date of Birth Number Immunised Primary Inoculations Number given Re-inforcing Inoculations Date of Birth Number Immunised Primary Inoculations Number given Re-inforcing Inoculations 1949 Under 1 year of age 73 — 19441940 5-9 years of age 177 1,143 1948 1 year of age 476 — 19391935 10-14 years 78 467 1947 2 years of age 53 — 1946 3 years of age 19 1 1945 4 years of age 8 46 Total 629 47 255 1,610 21 Table B:—Number of children resident in the Borough of Erith under the age of 15 years on 31st December 1949, who had completed a course of Immunisation at any time since 1st January, 1935 1-4 years 5-14 years Year of Birth Number considered to be immunised Year of Birth Number considered to be immunised 1949 73 1944 711 1948 524 1943 704 1947 742 1942 690 1946 1,016 1941 632 1945 640 1940 602 1939 603 1938 360 1937 527 1936 600 1935 422 Total 2,995 Total 5,851 Percentage of child population 0-4 years of age considered to be immunised at 31.12.1949 67.6% Percentage of child population 5-14 years of ageconsidered to be immunised at 31.12.1949 89.2% C (5) Smallpox. During the year owing to the dispersal of the passengers and crew from S.S. Mooltan, from which a fatal case of Smallpox was removed, a number of contacts were notified as having proceeded to the Borough of Erith. Action was taken for the daily supervision of these contacts by the Medical Officer of Health and Sanitary Inspectors, a watch being kept for the onset of any illness which might have some relation to Smallpox. Fortunately the danger period passed and no case of Smallpox developed in the Borough. The County Medical Officer of Health has supplied the following figures in regard to the number of persons who were vaccinated against smallpox during the year ended 31st December 1949. Vaccination Age at 31st December 1949 Under 1 year 1-4 years 5-14 years 15 or over Total Number vaccinated 132 100 6 19 257 Number re-vaccinated — 2 1 25 28 22 SECTION D.—GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE AREA D (1) General Hospital Facilities Erith and District Hospital. This hospital is administered by the Regional Hospital Board. In addition, the services of the large General and Special Hospitals in London are readily accessible to residents in this area. D (2) Infectious Disease Cases—Hospital Accommodation. Brook Hospital. Bow Arrow Hospital. Any other Infectious Disease Hospital controlled by the South East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board. D (3) Tuberculosis Treatment and Hospital Accommodation The South East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board is responsible for sanatorium treatment and hospital accommodation. A dispensary is held weekly at 65, Bexley Road, Erith, by a whole-time Chest Physician. D (4) Venereal Diseases Venereal Disease Clinics for this area are provided and administered by the South East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board. D (5) Ambulance Service This is provided by the Kent County Council, an ambulance being obtained through Mr. P. E. Light, District Officer, Kent County Council, 148, West Street, Erith, telephone Erith 4747/8 or the Ambulance Station, Council Offices, Erith telephone Erith 3603. D (6) School Clinics Hainault, Lesney Park Road. Minor Ailments, Refraction, Dental. Bedonwell Hill, Minor Ailments, Dental, Orthopaedic.* Lesnes Abbey. Minor Ailments. Erith and District Hospital. Ear, Nose and Throat. *These clinics are administered by the Health Committee of the County Council, or the Regional Hospital Board. 23 D (7) Maternity and Child Welfare Centres Hainault, Lesney Park Road. Ante-Natal Sessions:— Mondays 9 a.m.—12 noon. Child Welfare Sessions:— Mondays 1.45 p.m.—4 p.m. Thursdays 1.45 p.m.—4 p.m. Belvedere Public Hall. Child Welfare Sessions:— Tuesdays 1.45 p.m.—4 p.m. Thursday 1.45 p.m.—4 p.m. Lesnes Abbey. Ante-Natal Sessions:— Wednesdays 9 a.m.—12 noon. Fridays 9 a.m.—12 noon. Child Welfare Sessions:— Wednesdays 1.45 p.m.—4 p.m. Fridays 1.45 p.m.—4 p.m. Bedonwell Schools. Ante-Natal Sessions:— Thursdays 9 a.m.—12 noon. Saturdays 9 a.m.—12 noon. Child Welfare Sessions:— Tuesday 1.45 p.m.—4 p.m. Wednesdays 1.45 p.m.—4 p.m. Fridays 1.45 p.m.—4 p.m. D (8) Maternity Home Hainault, Lesney Park Road. D (9) Private Nursing Homes The Eaves, 64, Picardy Road, Belvedere. Ormonde House, 68, Picardy Road, Belvedere. These are registered by the Erith Borough Council for the Ground floor only. D (10) Day Nurseries These are administered by the Kent County Council and are located at Riversite and Franks Park. D (11) Laboratory Facilities Examination of pathological specimens and other laboratory work for the district are undertaken by the County Laboratories, County Hall, Maidstone. 24 D (12) Mortuary The Borough Mortuary is situated at the rear of Erith Parish Church in West Street and consists of a reception room and a viewing room. There is accommodation for four bodies. During the year 1949, forty-two bodies were received therein. Post Mortem Examinations were carried out in thirty-one cases. D (13) Disinfection and Disinfestation of Bedding, Clothing, etc. A joint arrangement is in existence with the Bexley Borough Council for the disinfection and disinfestation of bedding, clothing etc. There is, also, a cleasing station for dealing with verminous persons. In the case of notifiable infectious disease the service is carried out free of charge. It is also available to those persons who wish to make use of the facilities and in these cases a charge is made towards the cost of the work. 25 SECTION E.—SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA I am indebted to the Borough Engineer and Surveyor for the following information relating to refuse collection and disposal. E (1) Refuse Collection and Disposal The method of storage is by means of sanitary dustbins, and some 15,500 are emptied weekly. The dustbins are provided and maintained by the owners of the properties concerned, the Council securing this by a local act—the Erith Improvement Act, 1920. Disposal is effected by barging under contract, and these arrangements are still working very satisfactorily. E (l)a Costs £ s. d. Cost per ton of collecting refuse 18 6 Cost per ton of disposing refuse 12 6 Net cost per 1,000 population per annum 303 6 8 The following tables show:— 1. Details of the refuse collection vehicles and staff. 2. Details of the tonnage dealt with during the year. E (l)b Table 1 Vehicle Capacity 1 Dennis lorry 12 cubic yards 1 Fordson lorry 10 „ „ 1 S. & D. W. type Freighter 12 „ „ 5 S. & D. Freighters 8 „ „ 2 Scammell Lorries 5 ,, ,, 1 Austin 10 H.P. 5 cwt. Utility van They are operated by:— 1 Foreman 9 Drivers 10 Loaders 1 Salvage sorter Two new S. and D. Freighters (8 cubic yards) were purchased in March, 1949, being replacements for two obsolete vehicles, also 1 W. type S. and D. Freighter (12 cubic yards) which was purchased to cope with additional collections from new houses in the district. 26 E (l)c Table 2 Month Tonnage Tons Cwts. January, 1949 964 4 February, „ 862 1 March, „ 956 3 April ,, 767 15 May, ,, 688 5 June, ,, 575 15 July, ,, 511 8 August, ,, 533 7 September „ 555 7 October, „ 601 5 November, „ 891 1 December, „ 877 7 Total 8,783 18 E (2) Trade Refuse Trade Refuse is collected from the shops by arrangement with the shopkeepers, an agreed charge being made. The growth of this section of the refuse services continues, and in 1949 the amount reached approximately 270 loads, producing a revenue of £300. E(3) Salvage Tonnage collected Income T. C. Q. lbs. £ s. d. 844 6 3 11 4,269 4 11 E (4) Public Conveniences Those under the control of the department are as under:— Site Hours of opening Walnut Tree Road, Male and Female 6.30 a.m.—Midnight Riversite Male and Female 6.30 a.m.—Midnight Station Road, Belvedere Male and Female 24 hrs.—Day and Night West Street, Male 24 hrs.—Day and Night Heron Hill, Male 24 hrs.—Day and Night Woolwich Road, Female 6.30 a.m.—11 p.m. 27 E (5) Sanitary Inspection of the Area E (5)a Visits by Sanitary Inspectors The total number of visits of all kinds was 8,792 Notices served 901:Formal 86:Informal 815. Number of dwellings and other premises disinfected 209 Complaints received and investigated 1,762 E(5)b Premises Visited and Results of Such Visits Premises No. in district No. of visits No. of defects found No. of defects remedied Bakehouses 11 34 5 5 Dairies 5 29 5 5 Butchers shops 33 271 13 13 Fish friers 14 43 6 6 Slaughter houses 4 — — — Factories 167 112 31 31 Outworkers 71 52 — — Food Factories 4 22 3 3 E (5)c Summary of Nuisances and defects remedied during the year Other than those enumerated in the above tabulations:— Drains repaired 72 Drains cleared 56 New W.C. pans 25 New W.C.'s provided 3 Cisterns repaired 28 New sinks 39 Roofs made watertight 103 Damp walls remedied 113 Houses cleansed 27 Floors repaired 58 Eaves, gutters, etc., repaired 93 Cooking stoves renewed, etc. 19 Plasters renewed 198 Windows made to open 18 Dustbins provided 56 Accumulations removed 32 Yard pavings repaired 18 Coppers repaired 17 Repointing walls 47 Water supply provided 3 Demolition Orders made 5 Miscellaneous 222 Many requests were received from owners and occupiers in respect of clearing drains, eradication of vermin, destruction of ants and wasp nests, etc. In each case the necessary service was provided with much beneficial result to the applicant. 28 The charges made in connection with the above service amounted to £31 0s. 0d. E (5)d Closet Accommodation and Cesspools The whole of the closet accommodation both in the older parts of the town and recently developed areas is on the main drainage system, there being only 23 known cesspools existing. During the year, one cesspool has been abandoned, and the drainage connected to the main sewer. Cesspools are emptied once a month free of charge by plant belonging to the Council, and the contents thereof are discharged into the nearest Council sewer. The cesspools which require the service of the Council are scattered throughout the district, and, in the majority of cases, necessitate the covering of considerable distances both for pumping out and conveying to the point of discharge. During the year 1949, cesspools were emptied on 25 occasions. E (5)e Smoke Abatement No black smoke nuisances have come to the notice of the Department during the year. No cement dust nuisance, due to East Kent factories, was observed during the year. E (5)f Swimming Baths and Pools (1) The Council's open air bath is situated in Stonewood Road, and comprises one pool of some 55,000 gallons capacity. In 1948 extensive repairs were carried out and now the pool is used exclusively by the Kent Education Authority during school hours, and local Youth Clubs daring evenings and on Saturday mornings. Water in the pool is heated to a temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit by low pressure steam heating and is sterilised by the Chlorine process. There is a slipper establishment with accommodation for 16 males and 4 females. Adjacent to the public bath is a mechanical Laundry which launders on behalf of various undertakings, including the Council's Catering Department, Works Department and County Health and Education Authorities. During the year, 107,000 articles were dealt with. (2) A children's paddling pool of some 60,000 gallons capacity is situated within the Belvedere Recreation ground. This pool is regularly emptied and cleansed, and during the summer months, the water is methodically dosed with Chloros. 29 E(5)g. Camping Sites There are no summer camping sites within the Borough. There are, however, 4 sites which have been occupied by vans for a number of years. One licence under Section 269 of the Public Health Act, 1936, was granted during the period under review. Frequent inspections have been made with a view to the application of Bye-law requirements. E (5)h Hop pickers There are no hop fields within the district. E(5)i Rag Flock Act No premises exist in the Borough in which rag flock is manufactured or sold. E(5)j Eradication of Bed bugs During the year 1949, dwellinghouses found to be infested with vermin and subsequently disinfested as under:— Privately owned houses 24 Council houses 11 Disinfestation of both privately owned houses and Council houses is carried out by operatives under the supervision of Sanitary Inspectors, presence of vermin being located by the Sanitary Inspectors whilst carrying out their inspections. With regard to privately owned property, owners and occupiers are encouraged to report infestations in which case every assistance is given to cope with the menace, and for an appropriate charge, the operative carries out the necessary destruction. Close co-operation exists between the Housing Department and the Sanitary Inspectors, in which case successful disinfestation is promptly carried out, and in the case of transfers it is sometimes found necessary for the tenant to surrender certain household articles for destruction. Materials used for disinfestation are based on solutions of D.D.T. and Gammexane. E (5)k Mosquito Control During the year, there was no obvious mosquito nuisance, principally due to the temperate summer climate. As usual, however, appropriate precautions were taken which included the spraying of the many water courses, etc. within the area, such spraying operating from April to September. The 285 pig salvage bins on the streets received the necessary attention. E (5)1 Rodent Control Two operatives continue to be employed on rodent destruction in accordance with provisions of Circular N.S.19. 30 As in the previous years, the Council's sewers were effectively treated for sewer rat during the months of March and September. The display of Ministry of Agriculture Rodent films at the Health Exhibition attracted large audiences—systematic rodent destruction being successfully demonstrated. E(5)m Pest Control Infestations by ants, wasps, bettles, silverfish, crickets, etc., though not statutory nuisances, are apt to cause occupiers much discomfort and distress, and a disinfestation service is available to the public in this regard. The charge incurred includes the cost of materials used together with charge apportionment of the operatives' time devoted to the service. During the year, two dwellings were found to be infested by pest larvae of obscure origin, causing much material damage to wool, fur and textiles, the larvae being subsequently authoratively identified as Anthrenus Verbasci Linnaeus or carpet beetle. Successful disinfestation was effected by liberal dusting with Paradichlorbenzene crystals which quickly immobilized the larvae. E (5)n Offensive Trades In addition to the ordinary statutory offensive trades which are specified in Section 107 Public Health Act, 1936, fish frying was declared to be an offensive trade on 17th March, 1939 and bye-laws were made accordingly. Within the Borough, there are no offensive trades other than those of fish frying, and of these premises there are 14. In the early part of the year, fried fish and chips were retailed from 2 mobile vans operating generally in the Borough. This contingency is not provided for by section 13 Food and Drugs Act, 1938 and in the absence of the necessary statute, control, commensurate with that of fish frying premises, was difficult, but notwithstanding such defection, a high standard of hygiene was achieved on the vehicles. The mobile retailing of this food commodity however, was of short duration, possibly due to economic reasons, and it is unfortunate that the vendors did not accept the advice and views of sanitary inspectors before embarking upon this new venture in food trading. 31 E (6) Factories (1) Inspections for the purpose of provisions as to health are detailed below:— Premises Number of Inspections Written Notices Occupiers Prosecuted 163 Factories on Register 108 12 — 4 Other premises under the Act (including building works and engineering construction but not including out-workers' premises) 4 — — 167 Total 112 12 — (2) Defects found Particulars Number of defects Number of defects in respect of which prosecutions were instituted Found Remedied Referred to H.M. Inspector Washing facilities 20 20 — — Want of cleanliness 6 6 — — Overcrowding — — — — Unreasonable temperature — — — — Inadequate ventilation 1 1 — — Ineffective drainage of floors — — — Sanitary Conveniences: Insufficient 1 1 — — Unsuitable or defective — — — — Not separate for sexes — — — — Absence of Abstract 1 1 — — Otner offences 2 2 — — Total 31 31 — — E (7) Shops Acts 1912—1938 With regard to the statutory hours of closing, it was necessary to issue 6 warnings to shopkeepers upon the noncompliance with the statute. In one instance a shopkeeper was prosecuted for selling articles prohibited by Section 4 of the 1912 Act, the defendant being fined £1. 32 Infringements of Section 10 of the Shops Act, 1934, relating to health and comfort of shop assistants were located in the following instances and the necessary improvement being subsequently effected:— Cleansed and redecorated 1 Washing facilities provided 6 New sanitary accommodation 5 Other matters 4 Having regard to winter hours of closing, no local order was made by the Local Authority under Defence Regulations, the statutory hours of closing from 6th November, 1949 to 4th March 1950 being 6 p.m. each ordinary day and 7.30 p.m. on the late day. E (8) Offices At an office attached to factory premises it was found necessary to implement provisions of Section 46 of the Public Health Act, 1936, in consequence of which an additional W.C. was provided for males. E (9) Effluvia from River Thames It was on 7th July that it was observed that obnoxious odours were pervading the Borough, in consequence of which efforts were promptly made to discover the cause. At the outset, it was suspected that sulphuretted hydrogen gas was responsible, as a result of which samples of both river mud and water were submitted for chemical examination, the latter indicating that the mud contained a sulphuretted hydrogen content of 0.14 per cent. by weight. White chemical papers impregnated with lead acetate which were disposed locally were found to change colour to a spotted brown or black. Subsequent investigation showed that the enamelled surfaces of household baths and brassware rapidly decolourised. During the whole period that effluvia were apparent, day temperatures were in the region of 80 to 86 degrees F. and the wind constantly at East or North-east, whilst the long absence of rain continued to aggravate the situation. Communications were made to the appropriate river and other authorities when it was said that the matter was receiving attention, the condition being attributed to sewage outfalls at Crossness and Barking together with reduced up-river flow. With the resumption of wind to the prevailing direction of South-west and the resulting rainfall, the effluvia diminished. 33 E (10) Housing E (10)a Inspection of Dwelling Houses during the year 1. (a) Total number of dwelling houses inspected for housing defects (under Public Health or Housing Acts) 2,264 (b) Number of inspections made for the purpose 3,172 2. (a) Number of houses (included under sub-head (1) above) which were recorded and inspected under the Consolidated Housing Regulations, 1925 and 1932 5 (b) Number of inspections made for the purpose 16 3. Number of houses found to be in a state so dangerous or injurious to health as to be unfit for human habitation 5 4. Number of houses (exclusive of these referred to under the preceding sub-head) found not to be in all respects reasonably fit for human habitation 782 E (10)b Remedy of Defects during the year without service of Formal Notices Number of defective dwelling houses rendered fit in consequence of informal action by the local authority 666 Action under Statutory Powers during the year (a) Proceedings under Section 9 and 10 Housing Act, 1936. (1) No. of houses in respect of which Notices were served requiring repairs 0 (2) No. of houses which were rendered fit after service of formal notices:— (a) By owner 0 (b) By Local Authority 0 (b) Proceedings under the Public Health Act. (1) No. of houses (dwelling) in which respect notices were served requiring defects to be remedied 86 (2) No. of dwelling houses in which defects were remedied after service of formal notices (a) By owner 60 (b) By Local Authority 1 34 (c) Proceedings under Section 11 and 13 of the Housing Act, 1936. (1) No. of dwelling houses in respect of which demolition orders were made 5 (2) No. of houses demolished in pursuance of demolition orders 0 (d) Proceedings under Section 12 of the Housing Act, 1936. (1) No. of separate tenements or underground rooms in respect of which closing orders were made 0 (2) No. of separate tenements or underground rooms in respect of which closing orders were determined, the tenement or room having been made fit 0 The Demolition Orders referred to in (c) (1) were made in respect to:— 21, 22, 23, Colebrook Street. 175 and 177, Lower Road. E (11) The Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restriction) Act, 1939 The provisions regarding extortionate rents, etc., are administered by the Senior Sanitary Inspector and during the year 1949, 124 applicants sought advice and assistance. The maximum rent of houses brought under control by this Act is the rent payable at 2nd September, 1939, subject to certain permitted increases which are provided for by the Act. There is, however, no provision for de-control on vacant possession by the landlord. Appended below is a summary of the improvements effected:— (a) Rent reduced from 22/11 per week to 22/- per week, plus £4 15s. 4d. reimbursed to tenant. (b) Several cases were referred to the Rents Tribunal under the Furnished Houses (Rent Control) Act, 1946, and Landlord and Tenant (Rent Control) Act, 1949, with satisfactory results. E (12) Legal Proceedings Penalty Section 154 Public Health Act, 1936—Exchanging toys for rags £1 Section 154 Public Health Act, 1936—Exchanging toys for rags £1 Section 4 Shops Act, 1912—Infringement of closing hours provisions £1 35 SECTION F.—WATER SUPPLY—MILK AND FOOD AND DRUGS F (1) Water Supply The water in this district is almost exclusively supplied by the Metropolitan Water Board. The water though possessing a considerable degree of hardness, is of good quality and is palatable. The supply is led direct into the dwellings served, no standpipes being known to exist. Routine examinations of such supplies have been undertaken throughout the year with completely satisfactory results, and arrangements exist with the Kent County Council for 2 samples of this supply to be submitted to the Laboratory monthly for bacteriological examination. Report on a sample submitted for chemical analysis is as follows :— Parts per 100,000 Total solid residue .39 Chlorine 2.7 Free Ammonia None Albuminoid Ammonia 0.002 Nitrogen as Nitrates 0.6 Nitrogen as Nitrites None Oxygen absorbed ¼ hour at 26.7° C. 0.007 „ „ 4 hours at 26.7° C. 0.010 Toxic metals Not detected Free chlorine and chloramine on receipt None Hardness Permanent 8.0 Temporary 22.8 Total 30.8 The water is of satisfactory organic quality and, on the above chemical analysis, should be fit for drinking. (Signed) H. E. Monk, B.Sc., F.R.I.C. Public Analyst for County of Kent. 8th April 1949 36 F(2)a Dairies and Milk Stores The current Register of dairies and milk stores records the following registration figures:— No. of registered distributors 8 No. of dairies 5 F (2)b Bacteriological Examination of Milk Twelve samples of milk retailed within the Borough were obtained and forwarded to the County Laboratory for examination for effective pasteurisation. All were reported upon satisfactory, and passed the Methylene Blue and Phosphatase tests. F (2)c Designated Milk The following table indicates the number of licences issued by the Local Authority in 1949 under the Milk (Special Designations) Order, 1936. Dealers Tuberculin Tested 6 Pasteurised 5 Supplementary Tuberculin Tested 4 Pasteurised 4 19 F (2)d Ice Cream During the year 18 ice-cream samples were procured and submitted to the Analyst with the following results:— Fat Content Percentage Fat Content Percentage A 5.7 J 5.1 B 5.1 K 3.1 C 3.1 L 3.8 D 2.05 M 6.9 E 7.7 N 3.8 F 9.3 O 14.7 G 3.5 P 10.5 H 6.2 Q 4.0 I 4.5 R 11.3 Of 4 samples forwarded for bacteriological testing, 1 sample was listed grade 1, one sample grade 2, and two samples grade 3. 37 F (3) Food and Drugs Act, 1938, Sections 3 and 68 The following samples were procured during the year and submitted to the Public Analyst for analysis. Nature of Sample Adulterated Genuine No. of Samples Kipper paste — 1 1 Mixed spice — 2 2 Mustard — 1 1 Bicarbonate of Soda — 3 3 Sweet herb — 2 2 Junket — 1 1 Bun flour — 1 1 Dried mint — 1 1 Dessert Mould — 2 2 Puffed Wheat — 1 1 Chunx — 1 1 Tomato Ketchup — 3 3 Epsom Salts — 2 2 Olive Oil — 1 1 Fat — 1 1 Milk — 24 24 Pepper — 1 1 Ginger — 1 1 Cake flour — 1 1 Horse radish sauce — 1 1 Coffee and chicory — 2 2 Salad cream — 1 1 Bloater paste — 1 1 Jam — 2 2 Frizets — 2 2 Currie — 2 2 Coffee — 1 1 Essence Ginger Wine — 2 2 Melvet — 1 1 Scone flour mixture — 2 2 Custard powder — 3 3 Borax — 1 1 Gravylets — 1 1 Cake Mixture — 2 2 Glauber salts — 2 2 Baking powder — 1 1 Pudding flour mixture — 5 5 Castor Oil — 1 1 Sandwich spread — 3 3 Shrimp paste — 4 4 Meat paste — 2 2 Non-brewed vinegar — 2 2 Influenza Mixture — 1 1 Aspirin tablets — 1 1 Icecream — 18 18 Gravy salt — 1 1 Cloves — 2 2 Liquid Paraffin — 1 1 Sage — 1 1 Zett — 1 1 Tonic Food — 1 1 Meat cubes — 2 2 Lemonade powder — 2 2 Macaroni — 2 2 38 Pea flour — 1 1 Cream of Tartar — 1 1 Desiccated soup — 1 1 Rennet — 1 1 Blanc Mange — 1 1 Fish and chips — 1 1 Doughnuts — 5 5 Cakes — 1 1 Potato crisps — 1 1 Semolina — 1 1 Mixed vegetables — 1 1 Cocoa — 1 1 Celery salt — 1 1 Smoked cod liver — 1 1 — 145 145 Sample 922 (Doughnuts) was reported to be inferior, containing 0.7% hydro-carbon oil—standard being 0.2%. A caution was issued and the use of hydro-cardon oil was superseded by Tea-seed oil. The Milk Samples averaged a content of 3.48% fat and 8.72% of solids, not fat. F (4) Meat and Food Inspection Considerable time and attention has been devoted to the inspection of meat and other foods in shops and stores, and the following were confiscated as being unfit for human consumption:— Meat 1,181¼ lbs. Meat 518 tins Fish 401 lbs. Fish 84 tins Milk 784 tins Vegetables 269 lbs. Vegetables 716 tins Preserves 1,831½ lbs. Fruit 592¼ lbs. Fruit 139 tins Flour 371 lbs. Confectionery 42½ lbs. Cereals 88 lbs. Coffee 8 bottles Margarine 337 lbs. Cheese 146 lbs. Herbs 36 lbs. Biscuits 4 lbs. Poultry 242 lbs. Rabbits 162 lbs. Tea 15¾ lbs. Sugar 4 lbs. Total weight:—3 tons, 14 cwts., 2 qrs., 9¼ lbs. 39 F (5) Sale of Horseflesh In the early part of the year, a purveyor of horseflesh intimated his intention of retailing this commodity from a shop in Northumberland Heath, for the purpose of which the premises were re-constructed and amended so as to comply with Sections 13 and 38, Food and Drugs Act, 1938. At the commencement of this venture, horseflesh had a ready sale amongst residents in this area, but having regard to all the circumstances, it would appear that the sale of horseflesh was not a good economic proposition, as a result of which this business ceased after a ten weeks' existence. The premises are now used for the sale of confectionery. F (6) Slaughter of Animals Act, 1933 The above Act makes the use of mechanically operated instruments a statutory obligation. By resolution of the Council dated 23rd May, 1938, the provisions of Section 1 of the Act apply to sheep which are slaughtered in the district. F (7) Food Hygiene Activities (1) The Health Exhibition held in April afforded an admirable opportunity for furthering the cause of food hygiene, and the Catering Department's model restaurant evoked considerable interest. The display of live rodents successfully demonstrated the importance of food protection, whilst food deterioration was indicated by the desplay of various unsound foodstuffs. (2) More plentiful supply of paper and relaxation of control resulted in a large model bakery establishing the practice of wrapping bread. For this purpose certain plant has been reconditioned, and 10,000 loaves daily are enveloped in wax wrappers, prior to distribution to many towns in South-East England. F (8) Food Hygiene and Health Exhibition This exhibition was held at Electricity House during the period 25th to 30th April, and was a successful venture from the point of view of health education. It is estimated that some 5,500 people visited the exhibition inclusive of 277 schoolchildren who attended in organised parties, and it is evident from the questions which were asked by members of the public that the lessons demonstrated during the week will be of much benefit in furthering the Council's objects for the fostering of health in the broadest sense. The willing cooperation of the various organisations which participated in this event is much appreciated. 40 G (4) Legislation in force Tents, vans and sheds 28th Feb., 1928 Houses let in lodgings 27th Jan., 1930 Slaughterhouses 29th Feb., 1932 School Attendance 17th Feb., 1932 Libraries and museums 15th June, 1934 Nursing homes 20th July, 1934 Pleasure Grounds 4th Feb., 1936 Employment of Children 25th March, 1936 Dogs fouling footpaths 22nd Feb., 1939 Fish Frying 9th May, 1939 Building Bye-laws 10th Aug., 1939 House refuse 17th Oct., 1939 Erith Cemetery 25th Oct., 1939 Public Baths 26th Oct., 1939 Prevention of nuisances 23rd April, 1940 Good rule and government 1st Jan., 1941 Offensive trades 9th May, 1939