FlNC 27 BOROUGH OF FINCHLEY ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1946 of the MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH A.A.TURNER, M.C., M.D., D.P.H. Medical Officer of Health. STAFF OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT Medical Officer of Health A.A. TURNER, M.C., M.D., Ch.B., D.P.H. Assistant Medical Officers of Health Miss C. RUSSELL, M.B., Ch.B., D.P.H. Miss C.H.D. ASHER, M.D., M.R.C.P., D.C.H. Mrs. R.WALFORD,M.B., Ch.B. (Part-time) Senior Sanitary Inspector J. GRAY,M.B.E., F.R.San.I., M.S.I.A. Assistant Sanitary Inspectors J. YATES, Cert. R. San. I. W.H. NICHOLLS, Cert. R. San. I. K.J. MILLEN, Cert. R. San. I. E.A. SELLAR, Cert. R. San. I. Each of the Sanitary Inspectors holds the special diploma of the Royal Sanitary Institute for the inspection of meat and other foods. Health Visitors Miss C.HEMMING, S.R.N., S.R.F.N., S.C.M. Miss E.L. GREAR, S.R.N., S.C.M. Miss M.E. LEWIS, S.R.N. Miss D. GILCHRIST, S.R.N., S.C.M. Midwives Miss A.M. DAVEY, S.R.N., S.C.M. Mrs. A.B. TALBOT, S.C.M. Miss C.GILL, S.R.N., S.C.M. Miss T.V. HODGKIN, S.R.N., S.C.M. Day Nursery Nurses Miss M.A. NELMES Miss A. MEADEN Chief Clerk W.L.N. RELLEEN Clerks Miss K.M. NICHOL A. FIELD Miss M.E. BATTY Miss M. POWLEY Miss I. JACKSON Miss D.FLETCHER -1- TO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS OP THE BOROUGH OP FINCHLEY 4 ' * ' "" " ' r ' " 1 July, 1947. I have the honour to submit my Annual Report for the year 1946. The vital statistics are very good. The Birth Rate is still rising and the death rate is satisfactory. Deaths from Tuberculosis have decreased and those from other infectious diseases have remained low. The infantile mortality rate was very low and only about half the rate for the whole Country. The work carried out at the Antenatal, Infant Welfare and other Clinics continues to grow in volume and if the birth rate continues at its present level an increase in the number of weekly sessions will be inevitable. Much care has been devoted to the supervision of food, milk and the water supply. There is room for improvement in the degree of cleanliness in the handling and preparation of food in restaurants and canteens but efforts in this direction are hampered by the shortage of soap, detergents and towels and adequate supplies of hot water for washing up owing to the lack of fuel. -2- Overcrowding has increased during the year and the standard of housing in general has deteriorated owing to the shortage of labour and materials. A lower standard of work than is desirable has to be accepted and much necessary work left undone. This state of affairs will eventually lead to many houses becoming unfit long before their time and, in consequence, adding further to the housing problem. Much of the Inspectors' time has been taken up in dealing with applications for civil building licences. The work of the Rodent Destruction Department has been prosecuted with vigour and success. I wish to acknowledge the good work of the Medical Officers. Sanitary Inspectors, Health Visitors and all other members of the Staff during the year and I am especially indebted to Mr. Gray and Mr. Relleen for their assistance in preparing this report. I am, Your obedient Servant, A.A.TURNER. -3- SOCIAL CONDITIONS Arcs. (in acres) 3,477 Population (estimated) on 30.6.46 68,670 Number of inhabited houses (end of 1946 19,228 Rateable Value (1st April, 1946) £911,756 Sum represented by a penny rate £3,644 EXTRACTS FROM VITAL STATISTICS Live Births: Males Females Total Legitimate 580 567 1147 Illegitimate 28 32 60 608 599 1207 Birth rate; 17.57 per 1,000 estimated resident population. Stillbirths: Males Females Tot al 17 17 34 Rate; 27.4 per 1,000 (live and still) births, DEATHS: Males Females Total 366 408 774 Rate; 11.27 per 1,000 estimated resident population. Deaths from diseases and accidents of pregnancy and childbirth: From Sepsis - Other maternal causes 3 Death-rate of infants under one year of age: All infants per 1,000 live births 24.85 Legitimate infants per 1,000 legitimate live births 26.15 Illegitimate infants per 1,000 illegitimate live births. -4- Deaths from Cancer (all ages) 92 Deaths from Measles (all ages) 1 Deaths from Whooping Cough (all ages) 1 Deaths from Diarrhoea (under 2 years of age) 5 POPULATION The Registrar-General estimated that the population on the 30th June, 1946 was 68,670, an increase of 7,400 over 1945. THE BIRTH RATE There were 1207 registered live births in 1946, the highest number ever recorded. The birth-rate was 17.57—a rate which has only twice been exceeded; namely in 1920 and 1921. The rate for England and Wales was 19.1. There were 60 illegitimate births, which is 8 less than in 1945. The natural increase in the population, or excess of live births over deaths, was 433. STILL BIRTHS There were 34 still-births in 1946, giving a rate of 0.49 per 1,000 of the population as compared with 0.53 for England and Wales. THE DEATH RATE There were 774 deaths in 1946, 49 more than in 1945 but 56 less than 1944. There has been no marked variation in the number of deaths from any particular cause. The death rate was 11.27, and for England and Wales it was 11.5. -5- BIRTH AND DEATH RATES FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS Birth Rate - - - - - - - Death Rate INFANTILE MORTALITY RATES FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS INFANTILE MORTALITY There were 30 deaths of infants under one year of age as compared with 36 in 1945. Seventeen died before they were one month old, 10 between 1 and 3 months, 3 between 3 and 6 months, and none over 6 months. The causes of deaths were as follows:- Birth Injury 2 Congenital Malformation 7 Prematurity 3 Infantile Gastro-Enteritis 5 Pneumonia 2 Bronchitis 4 Miscellaneous 7 The infantile mortality rate was 24.85 per 1,000 live births, which is the second lowest rate in Finchley's history- the lowest being 21.8 in 1941. The corresponding rate for England and Wales was 43. There is not much scope left for reduction in the deaths of children over 3 months of age but there is still room for improvement during the first few weeks, or neo-natal period, through still better antenatal supervision, better feeding and housing, better midwifery and more knowledge as to the causes of congenital malformation and prematurity. still births, which really ought to be counted as infant deaths, are mostly due to the same causes as neo-natal deaths and the same measures are necessary to reduce them. -6- MATERNAL MORTALITY Three mothers died in 1946 giving the rather high maternal mortality rate of 2.42 per 1,000 births. All three deaths were due to Toxaemia of Pregnancy and all occurred in hospital. Only one of these mothers attended the Antenatal Clinic. INFECTIOUS DISEASE 1943 1944 1945 1946 Diphtheria 9 3 4 13 Scarlet Fever 194 125 109 102 Smallpox - 3 - - Enteric Fever 1 - - - Cerebro-Spinal Fever 3 1 1 4 Pneumonia 60 49 38 56 Measles 364 83 618 403 Whooping Cough 78 201 57 168 Infantile Paralysis 1 1 1 7 The table does not call for much comment, except that there were 13 cases of diphtheria and 7 of Infantile Paralysis. All the diphtheria cases occurred in the first half of the year and the majority of them were in the same neighbourhood, yet with the exceptions of a husband and wife in one instance and a brother and sister in another, no connection between the cases could be traced. The age distribution of the cases was rather odd in that 8 were over 20 years, 2 between 5 and 15 years and 3 under 5 years. Only one case had been immunised and insufficient time had elasped between Immunisation and contracting the disease to allow the child to develop immunity. There were no deaths. -7- Of the cases of Infantile Paralysis 5 were mild and recovered without any lasting paralysis hut two women unfortunately contracted a fulminating type of the disease and only survived a few days. Although there were many contacts of these two cases fortunately none was infected. IMMUNISATION One thousand and forty-five children, mostly one year of age, were Immunised during the year. In addition, 1207 children were re-immunised. This is done at approximately 4' years after the original treatment in order to ensure the continuity of Immunity. TUBERCULOSIS The following table shows the number of notifications of, and deaths from, pulmonary and non-pulmonary tuberculosis for the years 1938 to 1946 inclusive. There was a decrease in notifications and in deaths. YEAR New Cases Deaths Pulmonary Non-Pulmonary Pulmonary Non-Pulmonary M. F. M. F. M. F. M. F. 1938 47 27 4 10 13 9 3 1 1939 34 30 6 8 16 7 2 - 1940 28 21 4 4 16 10 2 2 1941 34 38 5 7 18 15 2 1 1942 40 39 4 3 14 19 1 1 1943 41 39 7 5 14 11 3 5 1944 48 30 8 8 14 9 3 2 1945 49 41 8 1 17 9 5 1 1946 43 26 2 8 14 9 1 2 BACTERIOLOGICAL WORK The bacteriological work, which used to be carried out at the Joint Isolation Hospital, is now done at the Central Public Health Laboratory at Colindale which started to function in February, 1946. The service covers a wide field, is very -8- efficient and is free to Local Authorities. The following table shows the number and nature of the specimens dealt with from the 1st February to the 31st December. Positive Negative Throat/Nose Swabs Diphtheria Bacilli 7 150 Haemolytic Streptococci 181 Vincent's Angina 6 Faeces Sonne Dysentery 75 329 Salmonella 6 Sputum T.B.Smear 2 27 Other Organisms 1 Whooping Cough Cough Plate 1 51 Post-natal Swab 12 291 557 SCABIES AND VERMIN The decrease in both these parasitic infections, noted in the previous year, continued throughout 1946. MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE An additional Infant Welfare Centre was opened In May at the British Restaurant in Lyttelton Road, to serve the Garden Suburb area from which mothers previously had to trek to the Health Centre in Oak Lane or the Centre in Essex Park. During the year there wore 23,190 attendances at the 4 centres, an increase of 2332 over the previous year. The voluntary workers have worked as hard as ever in the Interests of the mothers and children and they have the satisfaction to know that their services are greatly appreciated. -9- The attendances at the Antenatal Clinics have broken all records, no less than 912 mothers attended as compared with 772 in 1945 and 601 in 1944. Owing to the increase in the birth rate and the lack of hospital staff and maternity beds it has been more difficult than ever to book cases for confinement in hospital and this has led to arrangements having to be made 7 or 8 months before confinement is due. The number admitted to hospitals or nursing homes was 887 compared with 699 in 1945. Three hundred and five confinements took place at home and the Municipal Midwives attended 255 of these. ANTENATAL EXERCISES These exercises were started in October 1945, their aim being to teach expectant mothers relaxation, with a view to obtaining easier confinements; and also postural exercises, with a view to lessening fatigue. During 1946, 48 mothers made 386 attendances which proves that the experiment was a successful one; moreover the mothers enjoy the classes, and say that they derive benefit from them. POST-NATAL CLINIC This Clinic continued to serve a very useful purpose and the mothers attending for examination increased from 131 in 1945 to 164 in 1946. SUNLIGHT CLINIC One hundred and sixteen children and 5 mothers received courses of ultra-violet radiation and made 1,182 attendances. -10- PREMATURE INFANTS AND ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN The arrangements for dealing with these are the same as described in previous reports. Only 3 premature children died and of 60 illegitimate children born in 1946 none died. DENTAL TREATMENT There has been in recent years a steady increase in the number of expectant and nursing mothers and pro-school children attending for dental inspection and treatment, and in the year 1946 the numbers were greater than could be accommodated in the three sessions per week allocated to this work. In order to avoid any serious encroachment on the sessions set aside for school children it became necessary during the latter part of 1946 to exclude nursing mothers from the dental scheme. If the policy of providing a complete dental service for these patients is to be re-established it will Too necessary to arrange for an additional dental session each week. Comparative figures for 1945 and 1946 are as follows:- Mothers Children 1945 1946 1945 1946 Number inspected 204 238 347 500 Number requiring treatment 203 237 163 205 Number treated 187 222 148 184 Number of attendances 849 1025 334 400 Fillings 490 734 306 384 Extractions 430 611 139 187 Scalings 138 146 - - Gas administrations 66 77 57 65 Other operations 79 95 70 111 Dentures supplied 66 70 - - Dentures repaired 6 11 — — -11- HOME HELPS Assistance in 114 homes was provided in 1946 and at the end of the year 5 full-time and 1 part-time helps were employed. DOMESTIC HELPS Help for varying periods was given in 193 homes during the year. The staff employed at the end of the year consisted of 1 part-time supervisor, 11 whole-time and 3 part-time helps. The scheme is financed by the Ministry of Health. DAY NURSERIES All three nurseries wore fully occupied during the year. The Moss Hall Nursery was taken over by the Education Committee as a Nursery School for Children of 3-5 years. The nurseries now cater for children up to 3 years of age who are then passed on to the Nursery School or to the Nursery Class at the Martin School. There was no major epidemic in the nurseries but all of them wore inquarantine from time to time for one or other of the common infectious diseases. The shortage of Student Nurses has become more acute and in consequence the proportion of senior staff tends to be higher than it should be. JOINT AMBULANCE SERVICE The demands on the Ambulance Service continued to grow throughout the year and the Staff have given very good service. There are now 4 modern ambulances, 1 fairly old and 1 requiring replacement. -12- Two new vehicles are on order. A car for sitting cases is also kept. The 24 hours are divided into 3 shifts of 8 hours, 8 a.m. 4 p.m. 4 p.m. - Midnight Midnight - 8 a.m. In the first shift 5 ambulances and the car are manned, in the second 3 ambulances and in the third 2 ambulances. Reciprocal arrangements exist with adjoining local authorities. The times that we require assistance from neighbours, and they from us, are about equal. Removals are comparatively easy to cope with but accidents, which constitute about 10% of the total calls have the habit of occurring in batches and it inevitably happens on occasions that no ambulance is available at once and a few complaints have been received on this account. On the other hand many letters of appreciation of the service have been received. A total of 9497 cases were moved in 1946. MORTUARY Fifty-seven bodies were received in the Mortuary and 12 of these were from Priern Barnet. FOOD POISONING In October there was an outbreak of food poisoning in a factory whore meals are supplied to the employees from a canteen on the premises. Out of approximately 150 persons who had the midday meal 19 were taken ill with diarrhoea and vomiting during the afternoon. As the result of a thorough investigation tinned peas were suspected as the cause and samples of these and the other articles of food eaten at the meal In questtlon were sent to the Central Public Health Laboratory at Colindale and our - 13 - suspicions were confirmed. The peas were found to be infected by Staphylococcus Aureus, an organism which is frequently responsible for outbreaks of this character. It is thought likely that one or two tins became infected through a small undetected flaw or puncture. FOOD At the beginning of the year the Government Meat Distributing Centre serving Bar net, Finchley and Hendon closed down and returned to Smithfield. Five hundred and fifty three visits have been made by your inspectors to various food premises. The list of food condemned as shown below, includes a large amount damaged by flood water in the severe storm during July. Most of this food was stored in an underground warehouse. Representations made to the Owners have resulted in an agreement to build a new warehouse above ground level, the scheme receiving the backing of the Ministry of Food; plans have been submitted and the Owners are awaiting a building licence from the Ministry of Works. Four private slaughterhouses are licensed and occasional slaughter is carried on at one of them on permits from the Food Office. LIST OF UNSOUND FOOD TUBERCULOSIS Swine 1 Pig's Head. Bovines 62½ lbs. Beef. - 14 - OTHER DISEASES Bovines 148¼ lbs. Beef 190 Ox Tongues 81 Ox Hearts 30½ lbs. Sweetbreads 59 Calves' Heads 20 sets Calves' Feet. MISCELLANEOUS 24 Fowls 343 lbs Rabbits 72 Fish Cakes 24 lbs. Herring Roes 5¾ lbs. Bacon 1023¾ lbs. Butter 807½ lbs. Margarine 35 lbs. Sugar 84 lbs. Flour 585½ lbs. Tea 17 lbs. Macaroni 448 lbs. Flaked Barley 112 lbs. Split Peas 910 lbs. Coffee Beans 1 cwt. Chicory ½ cwt. Pepper 12 cwt. 2 qrs. 9 lbs. Bitter Orange Pulp l½ lbs. Sultanas 325 lbs. Prunes 500 lbs. Fruit Cake 58 lbs. Biscuits 35 lbs. Chocolate Macaroon Fudge 5 lbs. Miscellaneous Chocolates 4½ lbs. Butter Drops 21 lbs. Tomato Puree 5 packets Crisp Bread 2 packets All Bran 24 packets Blancmange Powder 21 packets Pudding Mixture 30 packets Camembert Cheese 5 packets Dried Eggs 31 jars (or tins) Fish Paste 1 jar Marmite 3 jars Honey 164-6 lb. tins Corned Beef 121-12 oz. tins Corned Beef 1-6 lb.tin Corned Mutton 2-6 lbstins Pork Luncheon Meat 11-2½ lb. tins Pork Luncheon Meat 8-6 lb. tins Ox Tongue 142 tins Stewed Steak 4 tins Meat Roll 3 tins Irish Stew 113 tins Pilchards 41 tins Sardines 1 tin Smoked Salmon 10 tins Crawfish 117 tins Beans 453 Eggs 25 lbs. Brawn 78 stone Fish 2478¾ lbs. Cheese 4 lbs. Suet 225¼ lbs. Lard 56 lbs.6 oz. Cooking Fat 1708½ lbs. Oatmeal 4 lbs. Oats 567½ lbs. Semolina 1 lb. Matzo Meal 1009 lbs. Pearl Barley 1223½ lbs. Beans 167 lbs. Whole Ginger 2 cwt. Soda Bicarbonate 2¼ lbs. Cocoa 1 lb. Figs 808 lbs. Dates 180 lbs. Raisins 56 lbs. Currants 493 Loaves of Bread 82 Meat Pies 6 lbs. Nut and Fruit Bar 560 lbs. Chocolate 1 cwt. Sausage Rusk l½ bags Spring Greens 1 packet Wheaten Crackers 15 packets Puffed Wheat 37 packets Sponge Mixture 15 packets Cake Flour 634 packets Salt 12 jars Pickle 50 tins Meat Paste 1 jar Chocolate Spread 1 jar Rollmop Herrings 5-2 lbs. tins Corned Beef 2-4 lb, tins Brisket 9-12 oz. tins Corned Mutton 29-12 oz. tins Pork Luncheon Meat 10-l½ lb. tins Pork Sausage 3-12 oz. tins Lambs Tongues 1 tin Minced Beef 26 tins Meat & Vegetable 5 tins Steak & Kidney Pudding 285 tins Herrings 51 tins Salmon 112 tins Lobster 33 tins Soup 598 tins Peas 3 tins Carrots - 15 - 25 tins Mixed Vegetables 5 tins Potatoes 2 tins Beetroot 3 tins Tomatoes 1 tin Spinach 18 tins Household Milk 1492 tins Milk 2 tins Macaroni Cheese 7 tins Spaghetti 144 tins Pimento 1 tin Date Pudding 1 tin Apricots 11 tins Peaches 11 tins Damsons 57 tins Plums 7 tins Pineapple 1 tin Apples 3 tins Mincemeat 54 tins Jam or Marmalade 6 tins Golden Syrup MILK The quality of the milk supply was satisfactory as shown by the result of samples taken for bacteriological examination. Fewer complaints have been received regarding dirty milk bottles, which may be due to the return of skilled operators to the dairies or less misuse by the public. Bottles were in very short supply during a part of the year, especially the l/3rd pint size used for the delivery of school milk and churns were once again used for a short time. New plant, of an improved type, for the bottling and sterilization of milk was Installed at one of the large dairies and Is working satisfactorily. DESIGNATED MILKS Licences were granted by the Council In respect of designated milk for the period ended the 31st December, 1946 as follows:- Licences to bottle Tuberculin Tested Milk 1 Dealers' Licences to sell Tuberculin Tested Milk 8 Dealers' Licences to sell Pasteurised Milk 14 Supplementary Licences to sell Pasteurised Milk 3 Licences to carry out the process of pasteurising Milk 2 - 16 - WATER Five samples of water were submitted for analysis and all were satisfactory, HOUSING The acute shortage of housing accommodation continues and the number of cases of statutory overcrowding show an increase at the end of the year in spite of the abatement of 52 cases. In addition there are a largo number of families in cramped and unsatisfactory accommodation. Number of Overcrowded families 1st January, 1946 66 New cases recorded during 1946 130 196 Number of cases abated 1946 52 Number of cases outstanding end of 1946 144 Four houses were represented as unfit and incapable of being repaired at reasonable cost and were dealt with as follows:- 19 and 21 Market Place, N.2. Negotiations to acquire by the Council were commenced, as the premises were to be included in a proposed redevelopment area and arrangements made for the occupiers to be rehoused. 21 and 23 Granville Road, N.12. An undertaking was entered Into with the owners who desired to render the houses fit for human habitation and the occupiers of the one occupied house being temporarily rehoused by the Council until works of repair are carried out. - 17 - Further depreciation to property is becoming more pronounced as the lack of maintenance and repairs continues and a number of houses in the district are rapidly approaching the condition when it is difficult to determine whether they are worth repairing. This position is aggravated in the case of houses where rents are controlled, as the owners receive no additional income to meet the enhanced costs of repairs and they are reluctant and in some cases unable to carry out work where the cost involved is so high that it is uneconomical to do the work and consequently the Council have to exercise their powers and carry out the work in default. Owing to the difficulty in obtaining materials, a lower standard of repair has to be accepted, more work is involved with regard to the issue of permits etc., with a consequent longer period of delay before notices are complied with. At 939 of the houses inspected during, the year defects numbering 2682 were recorded and dealt with by your sanitary inspectors. The following is a list of the work carried out, which necessitated a further 3833 visits. Premises re-drained 3 Drains altered or repaired 44 Drains unstopped 147 New drains laid (stoneware) yds 182 New drains laid (iron) yds 17 Inspection chambers provided 12 Inspection chambers altered or repaired 9 New inspection chamber covers 19 Intercepting traps fixed 5 Fresh air inlets fixed 5 Fresh air inlets repaired 2 New gullies provided 10 Gully curbs provided and repaired 13 Soil pipes and vents fixed 8 Soil pipes and vents repaired 7 Water tests applied 69 Smoke tests applied 19 Air tests applied 1 W.C. accommodation provided 2 - 18 - W.C. apartmonts provided 5 Ventilated lobbies provided 2 W.C. pans fixed 85 W.G.'s unstopped, cleansed or repaired... 36 W.C. apartments cleansed 22 W.C. cisterns fixed 12 W.C. cisterns repaired 37 Lavatory basins provided 26 Baths provided 2 Sinks provided 18 Wastepipes fixed 38 Wastepipes repaired 25 Wastepipes trapped 12 Urinals provided 3 Urinals cleansed or repaired 2 New roofs 9 Roofs repaired 169 Gutters renewed 16 Gutters repaired 53 R.W.P. provided 7 R.W.P. repaired or unstopped 27 Dampness remedied 85 Brickwork repaired or repointed 42 Ventilation provided under floors 9 Yards paved 4 Yards repaired 14 Floors repaired 59 Floors refaid 16 Walls and ceilings cleansed 259 Plasterwork repaired 227 Windows provided 5 Windows repaired 112 Sash cords renewed 144 Window sills renewed 2 Window sills repaired 15 Doors provided 2 Doors repaired 24 Doorsteps repaired 4 Staircase repaired 8 Storage cisterns provided 10 Storage cisterns repaired, cleansed and covered 13 Water service pipes repaired 23 Dustbins provided 73 Animal nuisances abated 2 Manure removed 1 Refuse removed 12 Workrooms cleansed 3 Bakehouses cleansed 3 Coppers repaired 1 Ranges repaired 9 Stoves renewed 14 Stoves repaired 45 Miscellaneous 77 - 19 - INSPECTIONS The total number of inspections made in regard to each section of work is recorded in the appended table:- Special Inspections 3422 Inspections of Houses let in lodgings 123 Re-inspections 2651 Inspections of Works in progress 1182 Inspections of Factories, Workshops and Work places (including Bakehouses and Restaurant Kitchens) 238 Visits to Slaughterhouses 2 Inspections of Cowsheds, Dairies and Milkshops 22 Inspections of ice Cream Premises 80 Inspections of Meat, Fish and Other Food Shops (including Meat Depot) 386 Inspections of Shops (Shops Acts) Visits re Infectious Disease and 8 Verminous Premises 962 Visits re Building Licences 1063 Visits re Housing Act, 1936 (Permitted Number) 416 Miscellaneous 620 Visits re Rodent Control 3126 Total number of inspections and re-inspect ions 14295 Defects discovered 2682 Remedied 858 In hand 259 1117 Outstanding 1565 Notices served Informal Notices 748 Statutory Notices 41 LAND CHARGE QUERIES Eight hundred and ninety nine letters were received during the year from the Town Clerk enquiring whether or not there were any outstanding sanitary notices with respect to certain properties in the district. The necessary searches were made and the required information furnished. - 20 - INSPECTION OF HOUSES Nuriber of dwelling houses found to be in a state so injurious to health as to be unfit for human habitation 4 Number of dwelling houses (exclusive of the above) found not to be in all respects reasonably fit 235 Number of defective dwelling houses rendered fit in consequence of informal action 155 PROCEEDINGS UNDER SECTIONS 9,10,16 - HOUSING ACT, 1936 Number of dwelling houses in respect of which notices were served requiring repairs 7 Number of dwelling houses rendered fit after service of formal notices By Owners 4 By Local Authority in default of owners 2 PROCEEDINGS UNDER PUBLIC HEALTH ACTS Number of dwelling houses in respect of which notices were served requiring defects to be remedied 13 Number of dwelling houses in which defects were remedied after service of formal notices:- By Owners 7 By Local Authority in default of owners ISSUE OF CIVIL BUILDING LICENCES Civil Building Licences are issued both by the Housing and Town Planning Department and the Public Health Department. Prior to the coming into operation of Circular 171 dated the 6th September, 1946, only licences for work where sanitary notices had been served, or work in connection with factories and food 3hops were issued by the Public Health Department. The effect of Circular 171 was to further tighten up the licensing of essential work, and local authorities were requested to restrict the issue of licences to certain - 21 - categories as follows (a) The repair of a sanitary breakdown in a building to safeguard the health of the occupant s. (b) The repair of a building to avoid imminent collapse of a defective part of the structure. This may include painting for protective purposes and minimum repairs to maintain weather tightness. (c) The essential repair of gas, electrical and water services, drains and sewers where the whole or part of the installation is either out of use or in a dangerous condition. (d) The replacement of defective stoves, fires, boilers, water heaters and other essential equipment in order to make the premises fit for occupation. (e) Urgent works required by a Statutory Notice. This work occupies a very large amount of the time of the inspectors and clerks, but has the advantage that to a great extent, material and labour are directed to premises most in need of repair and when an owner is served with a ranitary notice to execute work, a building licence application form is enclosed and apart from saving time the owner or builder has only one department to deal with. DISINFECTION AND PISINFESTATION Number of rooms sprayed and fumigated after infectious disease 236 Verminous rooms sprayed and fumigated 115 Number of articles disinfected 3582 Number of verminous premises dealt with 39 - 22 - Nine hundred and sixty—two visits were made by your inspectors and disinfectors in connection with cases of infectious disease and verminous premises and the necessary investigations were made in order to furnish the detailed information required. PREMISES PERIODICALLY INSPECTED The following premises were visited periodically during the year and any matters found requiring attention were dealt with:- Number in Description of Premises District Dairies, Cowsheds and MiUsshops 23 Factories, Workshops and Workplaces (including Bakehouses and Restaurant Kitchens) 334 Fried Fish Shops 5 Ice Cream premises 60 Places of Public Entertainment 17 Public iouse Conveniences 23 Slaughterhouses 4 Shops re Food Supplies 207 COMPLAINTS Three hundred and eighty-five complaints of nuisances were received and dealt with during the year, this being a decrease compared with the previous year when 533 were recorded. SMOKE ABATEMENT Work with regard to smoke abatement has continued and the occupiers of a number of bakehouses have cooperated and have converted their ovens from solid fuel to gas and in ono new bakehouse an electric oven was fixed. Meetings of the National Smoke Abatement Society have been attended by your Senior Sanitary Inspector. - 23 - FACTORIES ACT 1937 The following inspections were made by the Sanitary Inspectors during 1946:- PREMISES Inspections Written Notices Occupiers Prosecuted Factories with mechanical power (including Factory Laundries 148 6 - Factories without mechanical power 32 - - Other Premises (other than outworkers premises) - - - 180 6 - The total number of factories on the Register is 371. The trades carried on at the respective premises are as follows:- Bakehouses 31 Boot repairers 31 Builders' Workshops 19 Cycle Makers or Repairers 7 Farriers and Blacksmiths 3 General Engineers and Motor Engineers 67 Glassblowers 1 Laundries 2 Monumental Masons 4 Motor accessory manufacturers 2 Prepared Meat Factories 1 Printers and Printers' Accessories 15 Restaurant Kitchens 66 Sheet Metal Workers 1 Sports Accessory Repairs and Manufacturers 1 Tailors and Dressmakers 30 Timber Merchants and Sawyers 9 Tyre Re-treading 2 Upholsterers 10 Watch and Clock Repairers 6 X-Ray apparatus 1 Other Trades 62 571 - 24 - The following is a list of works carried out after inspections - W.C. apartments provided or reconstructed 6 W.C. apartments screened 2 New W.C. pans provided 4 W.C.'s cleansed or repaired 5 Joints between flush pipes and W.G. pans repaired 2 Flushing cisterns provided 5 Flushing cisterns repaired 4 Artificial lighting to W.C.'s 5 New sink waste pipes 1 New sinks or lavatory basins provided 2 Drains unstopped or repaired 2 Roofs repaired 2 Floors cleansed 1 Workshops cleansed 6 Accumulation of refuse removed Miscellaneous 1 Fish Friers premises cleansed 2 RODENT DESTRUCTION The following is a summary of the work carried out during the year. % Complaints Visits Preba its Zinc Phosphide POISONINGS Barium Carbonate Gassings Araenio Red Squills Rats 200 2673 961 303 52 52 9 11 Mice 84 426 - 104 - - - - Wasps 11 27 - - - — - 11 Disinfestation of Sewers The first maintenance treatment was carried out in May and June when 256 manholes were treated. Partial poison takes occurred in 65 manholes representing 21*4% of the total manholes treated. In the second maintenance treatment which was carried out in October and November, 340 manholes were treated. On this occasion 64 partial poison takes were recorded which was 18.8%. Of the 340 manholes treated 135 were in the form of a - 25 - test in other parts of the Borough's sewers and of these 22 showed partial poison takes. Defects found and Remedied Missing stoppers to interceptor traps 7 Air gratings renewed 1 Defective manholes repaired 3 Fresh air inlets renewed 4 Drains unblocked 1 Proofing carried out Doors proofed with metal 2 Rain water hopper heads covered 2 Perforated zinc fixed over air gratings 2 Walls cemented 1 - 26 - INDEX Page Ambulance Service 12 Antenatal Clinics 10 Antenatal Exercises 10 Area 4 Bacteriological Work 8 Births and Birth Rate 4, 5 Cerebro-Spinal Fever 7 Civil Building Licences 21 Complaints 23 Day Nurseries 12 Deaths and Death Rate 4,5 Dental Treatment 11 Designated Milks 16 Diphtheria 7 Disinfection 22 Disinfestation 22 Domestic Helps 12 Enteric Fever 7 Factories 24 Food 14 Food Poisoning 13 Home Helps 12 Housing 17 Illegitimate Children 11 Immunisation 8 Infantile Mortality 4,6 Infantile Paralysis 7 Infectious Disease 7 - 27 - Page Inspections 20 Inspection of Houses 21 Land Charge Quaries 20 Maternal Mortality 4,7 Maternity and Child Welfare 9 Measles 7 Milk 10 Mortuary 13 Pneumonia 7 Population 3 Postnatal Clinic 10 Premature Infants n Premises Periodically Inspected 23 Proceedings under Housing Act, 1936 21 Proceedings under Public Health Acts 21 Rodent Destruction 25 Scabies and Vermin 9 Scarlet Fever 7 Smallpox 7 Smoke Abatement 23 Social Conditions 4 Staff 1 Stillbirths 4,5 Sunlight Clinic 10 Tuberculosis 8 Unsound Food 14 Vital Statistics 4 Water 17 Welfare Centres 9 Whooping Cough 7 - 28 -