GREF 9 GREENFORD URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL. 1920 ANNUAL REPORT -of - GEORGE HOPE, D.P.IH., L.R.0.P., M.R.O.S., L. S. A (London). MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. GREENFORD URBAN DISTRICT. CENSUS FIGURES. 1901 1911. Area in acres 3041 3041 Inhabited Houses 162 222 Total Tenements 179 222 Population 819 1064 Do. per acre 0.27 0.34 Do. per house 5.05 4.7 Inhabited House per acre 0.05 0.07 1. Beaconsfield House, Harwell. W.7. To the Chairman & Members; of The Greenford U. D. Council. Gentlemen, For a district of such a Rural character as this is, with a rateable Value so low, that a penny in the pound produces only about £30, where there are about eight miles of gravel roads and lanes, constructed of such friable material as to be prolific of dust in dry weather and mud in wet. It does not require much imagination to realise what they are like, as the language used by the users especially with rubber tyres. It is true that there are, at least, three men, at work during a portion of the week and not a single whole time official. The salary of the Medical Officer of Health which is no doubt much lower than that of one of the aforesaid three men on the roads does not cover the cost of petrol, wear and tear of a Car etc. It is not surprising that now the war is over, the trouble of strikes, high cost of labour and everything else is (it is to be hoped) subsiding, the time is arriving if not already here, that some more suitable method of management of the local affairs of the District should be initiated without further delay. That whole time officials will be required in the immediate future I do not doubt, and it i s to be hoped that every opportunity will be taken to develope this at present barren district so advantageously thatit will blossom into one of the most delightful of suburbs. Now is the time either for making or the marring of this district. As Sir A. Newsholme, late Chief Medical Officer of the Local Government Board/a said short time ago We are an illogical race". We generally begin at the wrong end, especially in Local Government matters. We are only now beginning to realise that prevention is better than cure, and that disease, its causes, must be ascertained at birth or even before death, that we may be able to adopt preventive measures. Till recently we have been content to treat the disease rather than to prevent its appearance. Before building a house, it must be seen that its foundations are satisfactory, that its drain pipes are of proper materials and placed outside the building, that there is a suitable water supply with pipes in easily get at- able positions, should be the reverse as regards position as well as internal heating arrangements. It is waste of time to argue about the chimney pots till these other essentials are settled. The same applies to a Town. The question 2. r J . - • fox- the council at present is that of its drainage, until t his is settled much time must "be wasted in talking of other matters. This is always a difficult matter for districts such as this is,with such a low assessable value and borrowing powers, limited according to Sec.234 Public Health Act 1875. The Cottage property in the district is for the greater part old and dilipated and in such a state as to be beyond repair, but there i s no other accommodation. As my last Annual Report was I understand thought to be too long I cut it down accordingly, for as the Council have always been good enough to pay the cost of printing it is only right that they should dictate the 1ength . It will be seen by referring to the return herewith enclosed from the Registrar General that there were only twelve deaths, 7 males and 5 females, also 47 births, viz. 21 boys and 26 girls registered during the year. There was only one death of an infant under 12 months old (a boy) , of the 21 boys born 2 were illegitimate, and one illegitimate girl of the 26 born. The population is stated to be 1308. The ordinary death rate is therefore 9.1 per 1000 persons living, and the birth rate is 35.0 per 1000. The infantile mortality is 21.2 per 1000 births. During the year only 6 cases of infectious diseases were notified,. 5 scarlet fever and one pneumonia. The Infant Welfare centre also supervision of midwives, Food & Drugs Act and the Education matters are sup ervi sed by the Middlesex Co un ty Co uncil. Complaints on several occasions have been made to me c&f- the Want of a school at Greenford Parle, especially in the winter, and during severs weather the children are said to "catch cold" either on going or returning from school which is a considerable distance for the children to walk and there is no means of a public conveyance. I sincerely hope that the Council will bear in mind the advice I have so often given as regards giving a license for carrying on offensive trades., the one in existence should be an object lesson in this respect. I am. Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, (Sgd) GEORGE HOPE. GREEFORD URBAN DISTRICT 1920, Causes of Death. (Civilians only). Males. Females. All Causes. ??? 5 Whooping cough. 1 pulmonary tuberculosis. 1 2 Cancer, malignant disease. 1 1. Organic heart disease. 1 pneumonia (all forms) 1. Other defined ??? diseases. 2 2 Deaths of infante under 1 year of age. Total. 1 - Illegitimate. - - Total births. 21 26 Legitimate. 19 25 Illegitimate. 2 1 population (For births & deaths) 1308 . April 1921.