LIBRARY FEL 8 Urban District Council. of FELTHAM Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1945 Feltham, Middx. October, 1946. Urban District Council of Feltham Public Health Department Medical Officer of Health (part time): F. H. WOODS, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. (Returned from Active Service 1.8.45) Deputy Medical Officer of Health (part time): d. McCarthy, m.b., Ch.B. (Resigned 31.7.45) Chief Sanitary Inspector: R. J. ROWDON, C.R.S.I., M.S.I.A. Sanitary Inspectors : F. V. BELL, M.R.San.I., M.S.I.A. A. W. KENT, A.R.San.I., M.S.I.A. 3 Council Offices, Feltham. October, 1946. Madam Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I beg to present my Annual Report on the Health and Sanitation of your District for the year 1945. The District is divided into three Wards: Bedfont, Feltham and Hanworth with a total acreage of 4,935. The population as estimated by the Registrar General is 35,670 (mid. 1945). This is a slight increase, the 1944 figure being 35,260. The day population is increased by people working at the various factories and shops. A small number continue to work at agriculture. The sum represented by a penny rate is £1,118 11 6.9d. All classes of inhabited houses ... 10,096 Working-class dwellings ... 9,392 New working-class dwellings erected ... Nil Total number of new houses erected ... Nil Vital Statistics. Live Births— Total Male Female Legitimate 643 324 319 Illegitimate 45 20 25 Total 688 344 344 Birth rate per 1,000 of the estimated resident population— 19.20 Still Births Legitimate 8 6 2 Illegitimate — — — Total 8 6 2 Rate per 1,000 total births (live and still)—11.49 Rate per 1,000 of the estimated resident population—0.22 4 Deaths Total Male Female 319 166 153 Death rate per 1,000 of the estimated resident population— 8.94 Deaths from Puerperal causes— (Headings 29 and 30 of the Registrar-General's Short List) Deaths Rate per 1,000 total (live and still) births No. 29 Puerperal and PostAbortion Sepsis - - No. 30 Other Maternal causes - - Total - - Death rates of Infants under one year of age All infants per 1,000 live births (38) 55.23 Legitimate infants per 1,000 legitimate live births (36) 55.98 Illegitimate infants per 1,000 illegitimate live births (2) 44.44 Total Rate per 1,000 of estimated population Deaths from Cancer (all ages) 61 1.71 Deaths from Measles (all ages) 1 .028 Deaths from Whooping Cough (all ages) - - Rate per 1.000 live births Deaths from Diarrhoea (undei two years) 6 8.71 Birth and Death rates for England and Wales, 1945— Birth Rate 16.1 Still Birth Rate 0.46 Death Rate 11.4 Deaths under one year of age 46.0 Deaths from Diarrhoea and Enteritis (under two years of age) 5.6 Maternal Mortality—England and Wales, 1945— Abortion with Sepsis 0.25 Abortion without Sepsis 0.08 Puerperal Infections 0.24 Other 1.22 5 Causes of Death in your Area. Male Female Total 1. Typhoid and paratyphoid fevers — — — 2. Cerebro-spinal fever — — — 3. Scarlet Fever — — — 4. Whooping Cough — — — 5. Diphtheria 1 1 2 6. Tuberculosis of the respiratory system 7 6 13 7. Other forms of tuberculosis 1 1 2 8. Syphilitic disease 3 1 4 9. Influenza 2 — 2 10. Measles 1 — 1 11. Acute poliomyelitis and polioencephalitis — — — 12. Acute infectious encephalitis — — — 13. Cancer of buccal cavity and eosophagus (M) Uterus (F) 2 2 4 14. Cancer of stomach and duodenum 4 8 12 15. Cancer of breast — 9 9 16. Cancer of all other sites 25 11 36 17. Diabetes — 1 1 18. Intra - cranial vascular lesions 6 12 18 19. Heart disease 33 45 78 20. Other diseases of the circulatory system 5 5 10 21. Bronchitis 13 8 21 22. Pneumonia 8 10 18 23. Other respiratory diseases — 1 1 24. Ulceration of the stomach of duodenum — 1 1 25. Diarrhoea (under two years of age) 5 1 6 26. Appendicitis — 1 1 27. Other digestive diseases 3 3 6 28. Nephritis 4 3 7 29. Puerperal and postabortive sepsis — — — 30. Other maternal causes — — — 31. Premature birth 4 3 7 32. Congenital malformations birth injury, infantile disease 14 4 18 33. Suicide 1 1 2 34. Road traffic accidents 6 — 6 35. Other violent causes 6 1 7 36. All other causes 12 14 26 166 153 319 6 Notifiable Diseases other than Tuberculosis. Disease Total Nos. Notified Admitted to Hospital deaths Diphtheria 4 4 2 M'easles 120 12 1 Whooping Cough. 16 10 — Pneumonia. 3 — 18 Scarlet Fever 33 33 — Cerebro-spinal Fever 1 1 — Puerperal Pyrexia — — — Ophthalmia Neonatorium 1 1 — Erysipelas 4 o — Poliomyelitis 1 1 — Polioencephalitis — — — Malaria (non-civilian) 1 1 — Dysentery 1 1 — Age Periods Scarlet Fever Diphtheria Puerp. Pyrexia Erysipelas Pneumonia Whooping Measles Cough Uuder 1 yr.— — — — — 4 2 1—2 years 1 — — — — 15 2 2—3 ,, 1 — — — — 21 5 3—4 ,, 3 — — — — 10 5 4—5 „ 1 — — — — 25 — 5—10 ,, 16 2 — — — 41 2 10—15,, 6 1 — —- — 1 — 15—20,, 1 — — — — 1 — 20—35,, 2 1 — — — 2 — 35—45,, 2 — — 3 2 — — 45—65,, — — — 1 1 — — Over 65 — — — — — — — Total 33 4 — 4 3 120 16 Ophthalmia Neonatorum Notified 1 Cases treated at home — Cases treated in hospital 1 Vision unimpaired 1 Total blindness — Death — 7 Tuberculosis New Gases Deaths Age Pariods Respiratory Non- Respiratory Respiratory NonRespiratory M F M F M F M F Under 1 yr. — — — — — — — — 1—2 years. 1 1 — 1 — — — 1 5—15 ,, 5 3 2 — 1 — 1 — 15—25 ,, 7 7 — — — 1 — — 25—35 ,, 5 10 1 — — 1 — — 35-45 ,, 5 4 — — 2 2 — — 45—65 ,, 7 3 2 1 2 1 — — Over 65 ,, 1 1 — — 2 1 — — Total 3a 28 5. 2- 7 6 1 1 F. H. WOODS, Medical Officer of Health. 8 CHIEF SANITARY INSPECTOR'S REPORT. Council Offices, Feltham, Middlesex. October, 1946. To Dr. F. H. Woods, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., Medical Officer of Health, Sir, I beg to present a report upon the work of the department which I administer. Although now retired, Mr. R. J. Rowdon held office as Chief Sanitary Inspector during 1945. A considerable amount of the time of the Sanitary Inspectors and clerical staff continued to be occupied by duties arising out of the national emergency, including, to mention but two, work in connection with the repair and maintenance of properties requisitioned by the Council under the Defence Regulations and the administration of the Food Decontamination Service. Happily this latter service was not called upon, but I believe it would have proved efficient had a threat to our food supplies by the use of poison gas developed and I should like to take this opportunity to thank that small band of volunteers from among the local food tradesmen who so cheerfully gave of their time and energies. Due to the severe shortage of houses, overcrowding increased and some very bad cases came to my notice. The details of such cases were reported for the consideration of the Housing Committee. Our efforts in connection with the repair of dwellinghouses was considerably hampered by the shortage of building labour and materials. It was necessary to concentrate upon the most urgent defects, other works, necessary though they often were, had to be deferred. 9 This position, was not considered at all satisfactory, but in the circumstances was unavoidable. The shortage of sanitary dustbins gave rise to the development of many nuisances from the accumulations of household refuse. Every effort was made to remedy this position, but considerable delay was inevitable in many cases. Rodent destruction, in accordance with the methods advocated by the Ministry of Food was energetically carried out. The sewerage system was tested and found to be free from infestation, and the refuse tip was successfully treated. Complaints from the public decreased considerably towards the end of the year. The nomad caravan dwellers who pull on to grass verges or private land without any arrangements for sanitation or water supply, continued to present a difficult problem. The meat distributing depot at Bedfont was visited regularly and I am glad to record that cordial relations existed between the depot management and the department, due to our mutual desire to stop the distribution of unsound meat, but at the same time to prevent unnecessary waste. Action was taken which resulted in the closing of an establishment bottling vinegar under unsatisfactory conditions. Sixty-five samples were taken of graded milks which mostly proved to be satisfactory. The tuberculin tested milk retailed by one dairy company however, gave rise to considerable concern and in this connection I had the valuable co-operation of the Agricultural Organiser of the Berkshire County Council who arranged for a series of samples to be taken which were co-ordinated with samples taken in this district. The difficulty was eventually surmounted by the installation of pasteurisation plant. In concluding I should like to thank you, Sir, for the consideration you have shown me, and the members of the staff for their support in carrying out the work of the department. 10 Summary of Sanitary Work and Improvements Eradication of Bed Bugs (1) The number of Council houses infested 5 The number of Council houses disinfested 5 The number of other houses infested 14 The number of other houses disinfested 14 The number of other premises disinfested 1 (2) The methods of disinfestation employed are the spraying with contact insecticides mainly "Pyagra "or "Zaldecide" or the use of fumigants, such as "Cimex" or Thermatox fumigators. Occasionally fumigation with hydrogen cyanide gas is carried out. (3) The furniture, etc., of prospective Council house tenants is inspected before removal to the Council's houses and if necessary is treated for the eradication of bugs. (4) The work of disinfestation is carried out by the local authority except when hydrogen cyanide gas is used, when a contractor is employed. Infectious Disease The following number of premises have been disinfected after cases of infectious disease:— Tuberculosis 31 Cancer 2 Measles 1 Scarlet Fever 28 Diphtheria 11 Erysipelas 3 Cerebro Spinal Fever 1 Dysentery 1 Total 78 11 Milk (Special Designations) Regulations, 1936 - 1946 The number of persons licensed in the district to sell or bottle graded milks is as follows:— Tuberculin Tested 4 Accredited — Pasteurised 4 Supplementary Licences:— Tuberculin Tested 3 Accredited — Pasteurised 3 Inspection and Supervision of Food Carcases Examined at Slaughter-houses and Butcher's Shops Beasts Calves Lambs Pigs Number killed — — — 54 Number inspected — — — 54 Diseases excluding Tuberculosis— Beasts Calves Lambs Pigs Whole carcase condemned — — — 1 Carcases of which some part or organ condemned — — — 1 Percentage affected with disease other than tuberculosis — — — 3.70 Tuberculosis only— Whole carcase condemned — — — — Carcase of which some part or organ condemned — — — 1 Percentage affected with tuberculosis — — — 1.85 12 Meat Inspected at Distributing Depot No. 16— The following number of carcases have been examined after slaughter and removal to the depot:— Beasts Sheep Calves Pigs — 3 — 85 In addition a large number of carcases quarters, parts of carcases and organs have been examined. The following has been declared unfit for human consumption Whole Carcases— Beasts Calves Sheep Pigs Tuberculosis — — — — Other Disease — — — 2 Part Carcases and Organs— Tuberculosis 1 cwt. 36 lbs Other Disease 17 cwts. 63 lbs. In addition the following amount of canned meat was found to be unfit for human consumption:— 2 tons 6 cwts. 97 lbs. FRANCIS V. BELL, Chief Sanitary Inspector. Printed by The Caxton Press, Feltham.