HAY 26 AC 439 (3) FORTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT on the HEALTH of the Urban District of HAYES & HARLINGTON Middlesex J. STANLEY LLOYD, M.D., F.R.C.S.Edin. Medical Officer of Health 1951 THE URBAN DISTRICT OF HAYES AND HARLINGTON Members of the Council, 1951 : Chairman : Councillor F. W. Coleman, J.P. Vice-Chairman : Councillor H. R. Hann. Councillors : Mrs. R. E. Beard, A. J. C. Beck, H. Blackburn, D. W. Brown, P. J. Burke, S. G. Chilton, B. E. Cooper, J. H. Dawson, Mrs. B. F. Frost, O. Garvin, E. K. Harding, J. H. W. Johnson, W. C. Mongor, E. C. Perkins, F. W. D. Rosser, N. L. Shakespeare, A. Smith, R. M. Smith, G. Triscott, M.B.E., H. T. Walker, M. C. Wheeler, F. C. Woods. Public Health Committee, 1951 : Chairman : Councillor H. R. Hann. Vice-Chairman : Councillor F. C. Woods. Councillors : S. G. Chilton, E. C. Perkins, G. Triscott, M.B.E., M. C. Wheeler. Staff of the Public Health Department : Medical Officer of Health : J. Stanley Lloyd, M.D., F.R.C.S.Edin. Chief Sanitary Inspector, Inspector under the Shops Acts, and Petroleum Inspector : John S. Hodgins, A.M.I.San.E., M.R.S.I. Deputy Chief Sanitary Inspector : Sydney Greenhead. Additional Sanitary Inspectors : R. Finn (left 11/2/51), E. A. Williams, E. J. Marsden, J. M. Fabel (commenced 2/4/51), A. C. Bamping (commenced 7/3/51). Clerks : B. S. Bedborough, Mrs. C. F. Pickett, Miss A. Mellett. 1 MEDICAL OFFICERS ANNUAL REPORT Public Health Department, Town Hall, Hayes, Middlesex. June, 1952. To the Chairman and Members of the Council. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the honour to submit to you the forty-seventh Annual Report on the health of your Urban District. There was no major epidemic in 1951 but unfortunately the number of persons on the tuberculosis register increased during that year. This was despite the fact that new notifications in the area decreased by 24. The rise was, therefore, due to transfers from outside areas and to a diminution in the numbers removed from the register. However, the total number of deaths from the disease was only 24 out of a population of 65,000, whereas in 1931 it was 18 with a population of 24,000. Malignant disease of the lung and bronchus has increased in one year by 33% from 15 to 20. No death occured from poliomyelitis and there was no case of diphtheria. In this connection I cannot too strongly emphasise the importance of immunisation of infants before they reach the age of one year. The success of this procedure has been amply proved by statistics, but there is a danger that the absence of diphtheria at the present time may lead parents to imagine that there is now no need to take precautions. This might lead to a severe outbreak in the future with the consequent tragic results amongst children. It should be considered a prime duty for parents to see that their infants are immunised before they attain the age of one year. The infantile death-rate has been dropping consistently in the past few years. Last year it reached a low record of 18.4. This year it was only 14.9 as against 29.6 for England and Wales. The Food Hygiene Guild has continued its activities in trying to raise the standard of cleanliness in food shops, and there has been good co-operation from the traders in this matter. There is no doubt that when the public are fully educated in the importance of preventing contamination of food, cases of food poisoning will become rare. This is especially important in the case of infants, where contaminated food can cause enteritis, with sometimes a fatal result. The health of the Urban District continues to be good. I should like to thank the Chairman and Members of the Public Health Committee for the help and encouragement they have always given to my department, and the Chief Sanitary Inspector and other members of the staff who have so conscientiously carried out their work. I have the honour to be, Your obedient servant, J. STANLEY LLOYD, Medical Officer of Health. 2 STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA Area (acres) 5,171 Population (Census 1931) 22,969 Population (mid-year 1951—Registrar General's estimate of civilian population) 65,270 Number of inhabited houses as at 31st December, 1951 17,318 Rateable Value (estimated) as at 31st December, 1951 £431,308 Product of a penny rate £1,725 EXTRACTS FROM VITAL STATISTICS OF THE YEAR Live Births :— M. F. Total Birth rate per 1,000 of the estimated resident population 14.37 Legitimate 506 400 906 Illegitimate 16 16 32 Comparability factor is 0.91, giving a corrected birth rate of 13.07 Stillbirths :— M. F. Total Rate per 1,000 total (live and still births) 19.85 Legitimate 11 6 17 Illegitimate 1 1 2 M. F. Total Death rate 7.66 Deaths 267 233 500 Comparability factor is 1.50, giving a corrected death rate of 11.49 Deaths from puerperal causes Nil Death rate of infants under one year of age :— (a) All infants per 1,000 live births 14.93 (b) Legitimate infants per 1,000 legitimate live births 14.35 (c) Illegitimate infants per 1,000 illegitimate live births 31.28 Deaths from :— M. F. Total Cancer 52 41 93 Measles — — — Whooping cough — — — Diarrhoea (under 2 years of age) — 1 1 Tuberculosis of respiratory system 17 5 22 Tuberculosis (other forms) 1 1 2 Heart disease 62 64 126 Bronchitis 18 11 29 Pneumonia (all forms) 25 18 43 3 BIRTH-RATES, DEATH-RATES, ANALYSIS OF MORTALITY, MATERNAL MORTALITY AND CASE-RATES FOR CERTAIN INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN THE YEAR 1951 PROVISIONAL FIGURES BASED ON QUARTERLY RETURNS England and Wales 126 County Boroughs and Great Towns (including London) 148 Smaller Towns (Resident Populations 25,000 to 50,000 at 1931 Census) London Administrative County Hayes and Harlington Rates per 1,000 Home. Population Births— Live Births 15.5 17.3 16.7 17.8 14.37 Still births 0.36 0.45 0.38 o.37 0.29 Deaths— All causes 12.5 13.4 12.5 13.1 7.66 Typhoid and paratyphoid 0.00 0.00 0.00 Whooping cough O.OI 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.00 Diphtheria 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 — Tuberculosis 0.31 0.37 0.31 0.38 o.37 Influenza 0.38 0.36 0.38 0.23 0.09 Smallpox 0.00 0.00 0.00 — — Acute poliomyelitis (including polioencephalitis) 0.00 0.01 O.O1 0.00 0.00 Pneumonia 0.61 0.65 0.63 0.61 0.66 Notifications (Corrected) Typhoid fever 0.00 0.00 0.00 O.O1 — Para-typhoid fever 0.02 0.03 0.02 O.O1 — Meningococcal infection 0.03 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.01 Scarlet fever 1.11 1.20 1.20 1.10 1.55 Whooping cough 387 3.62 4.00 3.11 5.07 Diphtheria 0.02 0.02 0.03 O.OI — Ei ysipelas 0.14 0.15 0.12 0.15 0.06 Smallpox 0.00 0.00 0.00 — Measles 14.07 13.93 14.82 14.64 9.71 Pneumonia 0.99 1.04 0.96 0.72 1.45 Acute poliomyelitis (including polioencephalitis) : Paralytic 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.02 0.03 Non-paralytic 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.12 Food poisoning 0.13 0.15 0.08 0.23 — Rates per 1,000 Live Births Deaths— All causes under i year of age 29.6* 33.9 27.6 26.4 14.93 Enteritis and diarrhoea under 2 years of age 1.4 1.6 1.0 0.7 1.07 Rates per 1,000 Total (Live and Still) Births Notifications: (Corrected): Puerperal fever and pyrexia 10.66 1377 8.08 14.90 20.89 Maternal Mortality (Rates per 1,000 Total (Live and Still) Births) England and Wales Hayes and Harlington Sepsis of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium 0.10 0.00 Abortion with toxaemia 0.00 0.00 Other toxaemias of pregnancy and the puerperium 0.24 0.00 Haemorrhage of pregnancy and childbirth 0.13 0.00 Abortion without mention of sepsis or toxaemia 0.05 0.00 Abortion with sepsis 0.09 0.00 Other complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium 0.18 0.00 *per 1,000 related live births 4 CAUSES OF DEATH DURING 1951 Cause oj Death Male Female All causes 267 233 1. Tuberculosis, respiratory 17 5 2. Tuberculosis, other 1 1 3. Syphilitic disease 1 2 4. Diphtheria — — 5. Whooping cough — — 6. Meningococcal infections — — 7. Acute poliomyelitis — — 8. Measles — — 9. Other infective and parasitic diseases — 1 IX). Malignant neoplasm, stomach 8 8 11. Malignant neoplasm, lung, bronchus 19 1 12. Malignant neoplasm, breast — 9 13. Malignant neoplasm, uterus — 2 14. Other malignant and lymphatic neoplasms 25 21 15. Leukaemia, aleukaemia 1 3 16. Diabetes — 6 16. Vascular lesions of nervous system 22 31 18. Coronary disease, angina 39 21 19. Hypertension with heart disease 8 7 20. Other heart disease 15 36 21. Other circulatory disease 7 6 22. Influenza 3 3 23. Pneumonia 25 18 24. Bronchitis 18 11 25. Other disease of respiratory system 4 2 26. Ulcer of stomach and duodenum 8 1 27. Gastritis, enteritis and diarrhoea — 3 28. Nephritis and nephrosis 2 — 29. Hyperplasia of prostate 4 — 30. Pregnancy, childbirth, abortion — — 31. Congenital malformations 4 2 32. Other defined and ill-defined diseases 21 25 33. Motor vehicle accidents 5 1 34. All other accidents 9 3 35. Suicide 1 4 36. Homicide and operations of war — — Deaths of Infants : Legitimate 9 4 Illegitimate — 1 Total 9 5 Live Births : Legitimate 506 400 Illegitimate 16 16 Total 522 416 Stillbirths : Legitimate 11 6 Illegitimate I 1 Total 12 7 Home Population (mid-year) 65,270 5 GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE AREA (a) Hospitals. Hayes Cottage Hospital, Grange Road, Hayes. Harlington Cottage Hospital, Sipson Lane, Harlington. Hillingdon Hospital, near Uxbridge. St. John's Hospital, Uxbridge, for Infectious Diseases. Joyce Green Hospital, Dartford, for cases of Smallpox. (b) Ambulance Service. Motor ambulances are provided by the Middlesex County Council for the conveyance of all cases to hospital. (c) Tuberculosis. Provision is made by the Middlesex County Council for treating cases of tuberculosis at South Mimms Hospital, Harefield Hospital, and other places. The Chest Clinic is situated at the Local County Offices, High Street, Uxbridge. (d) Child Welfare Clinics, etc. The Middlesex County Council also administers the numerous Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics in the district. These are open frequently and are at the disposal of all residents free of cost. WATER SUPPLY An abundant supply of water is available in the district; the Rickmansworth and Uxbridge Valley Water Company supply the greater part of the district, the remainder coming from the South West Suburban Water Company. Thirty-three dwelling houses, representing 00.19% of the total dwellings and population in the district, are supplied from stand pipes and a further two dwellings from wells ; all other dwellings have piped supplies from the Companies' mains. Chemical and bacteriological examinations of the water have been made by the Clinical Research Association, and the Public Health Laboratory Service at Ealing. The number of samples taken for bacteriological examination was, as follows Rickmansworth and Uxbridge Valley Water Co. 8 South West Suburban Water Company 2 Private wells 9 Mobile canteens 1 Satisfactory results were obtained from all these samples, indicating that the quality of the water in the district is consistently good. It has not been necessary to take any action in respect of the contamination of water supplies. 6 PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS DISEASES (a) General. Deaths from tuberculosis—these increased from twenty-one last year to twenty-four. Poliomyelitis— there has been a decrease in the number of cases on last year's figures and the number of deaths was none compared with four last year. (b) Scabies. Four children were treated for scabies during the year at the clinic at the Hayes Cottage Hospital. On the 31st December this clinic was closed down and arrangements made for cases to be treated at Hillingdon Hospital. (c) Diphtheria Immunisation. This service is now undertaken by the Middlesex County Council at the Child Welfare Clinics in the district. Notifiable Diseases (other than Tuberculosis) during the Year 1951 Disease Total Cases Notified Total Deaths Scarlet fever 101 Diphtheria — — Pneumonia 95 43 Meningococcal infection 1 — Puerperal pyrexia 20 — Erysipelas 4 — Ophthalmia neonatorum 1 — Measles 634 Whooping cough 331 — Dysentery 25 — Acute poliomyelitis and encephalitis 10 — Malaria Enteric fever Para-typhoid fever — Food poisoning — — Smallpox Acute encephalitis lethargica — — 7 TUBERCULOSIS New cases and mortality during the year 1951: Age Periods New Cases Mortality Respiratory NonRespiratory Respiratory NonRespiratory M. R M. F. M. F. M. F. Under 1 year 1—4 2 — — 1 — — 5—14 3 6 1 1 — 15—24 16 22 — — — 25—34 11 8 — 1 1 1 1 35—44 11 3 2 4 1 45—54 8 2 — 1 6 1 55—64 4 1 — 1 4 1 65 and over 1 1 — — 2 — Age unknown 1 1 — Totals 56 43 3 7 17 5 1 1 It has not been found necessary to take any action under the Public Health (Prevention of Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1925, relating to tuberculosis amongst employees in the milk trade, nor under the Public Health Act, 1936, Section 172, for the compulsory removal to hospital of persons suffering from tuberculosis. 8 9 ANALYSIS OF TOTAL CASES Disease AT AGES Under 1 year 1—2 3—4 5—9 10—14 15—24 25 and over Age unknown Totals Scarlet fever 4 32 53 6 4 1 1 101 Whooping cough 27 66 113 117 3 — 2 2 331 Acute poliomyelitis 1 3 — 4 1 — — 1 10 Meningococcal infection — — — 1 — — — — 1 Measles 27 135 206 253 3 5 2 3 634 Diphtheria — — — — — — — — — AT AGES Disease Under 5 years 5—14 15—44 45—64 65 and over Age unknown Totals Acute pneumonia 21 7 30 21 10 6 95 Dysentery 1 7 2 — — 15 25 Smallpox — — — — — — — Acute encephalitis lethargica — — — — — — — Enteric fever — — — — — — — Paratyphoid fever — — — — — — — Erysipelas — — 1 3 — 4 Food poisoning — — — — — — — Puerperal pyrexia 20 (all ages) Ophthalmia neonatorum 1 REPORT OF THE CHIEF SANITARY INSPECTOR SANITARY INSPECTION OF THE AREA COMPLAINTS During the year 917 complaints were received with respect to the following matters Choked and defective drains 186 Insanitary or dilapidated conditions of houses or premises 258 Offensive accumulations or deposits 23 Defective dustbins 57 Verminous premises 21 Gypsies 9 Rat and mouse infestations 252 Unsound food 31 Nuisances from animals 12 Overcrowding 19 Dust, smoke and noise nuisances 14 Other nuisances 35 Total 917 INSPECTION OF THE DISTRICT Visits to dwelling houses re disrepair 2,260 Visits to dwelling houses re overcrowding and re-housing enquiries 259 Visits re defective drainage 2,238 Visits re disinfestation and disinfection 100 Visits re accumulations of refuse 156 Observations re smoke, noise and smell nuisances 304 Inspections of public conveniences 39 Inspections of piggeries and stables 113 Inspections of moveable dwellings and caravan sites 804 Visits re infectious diseases 471 Visits re Shops Acts (during office hours) 971 Visits re Shops Acts (outside office hours) 393 Visits re inspection of food 644 Inspections of dairies and milk shops 35 Inspections of ice cream manufacturers' premises 67 Inspections of ice cream dealers' premises and vehicles 224 Inspections of food shops, cafes, etc. 2,122 Inspections of licensed premises 93 Inspections of hawkers' vehicles and store places 180 Inspections of factories, workplaces and outworkers' premises 873 Inspections re rodent control 1,243 Inspections re music and dancing licences 58 Visits re milk, water and ice cream sampling, etc. 176 Inspections of schools 10 Inspections of petroleum stores 105 Inspections of slaughterhouses 3 Inspections of refuse tips 42 Miscellaneous visits 2,517 Total 16,500 10 NOTICES SERVED Informal notices served 597 Statutory Notices served :— Section 93, Public Health Act, 1936 32 75, Public Health Act, 1936 21 ,, 45, Public Health Act, 1936 4 39, Public Health Act, 1936 7 56, Public Health Act, 1936 1 ,, 9, Housing Act, 1936 3 LEGAL PROCEEDINGS (a) Public Health Acts, 1936. Four summonses were issued in connection with abatement notices which had not been complied with, but in each case the nuisance was abated before the hearing took place and the summonses were withdrawn on payment of costs. The owner of a dwelling house successfully appealed against a notice requiring him to supply a new dustbin ; a new bin was eventually supplied by the occupier. (b) Food and Drugs Act, 1938. Summonses against a butcher in connection with the alleged sale of horseflesh were dismissed on a technicality concerning the lack of proper authority to commence proceedings. (c) Factories Act, 1937. The occupiers of a factory were fined £5 and ordered to pay £3 3s. Od. costs for failing to provide suitable and sufficient sanitary accommodation. (d) Middlesex County Council Acts, 1944 and 1950. A gypsy was fined £1 on each of two summonses for placing a caravan on land without the previous consent of the Council. Five caravan dwellers were fined 10s. each and the occupier of the site £5 and £1 Is. Od. costs for placing and keeping caravans on land and permitting land to be used by caravans, respectively, without the previous consent of the Council. Summonses were taken out against three caravan dwellers on another site ; one was dismissed and the other two were fined £1 each and ordered to pay 30s. each costs. MOVEABLE DWELLINGS The number of caravans used as semi-permanent homes on unauthorised sites has continued to grow. The influx of workers to the nearby London Airport has, no doubt, been largely responsible. Legal proceedings have been taken, but have, inevitably, failed to provide a solution. Recognising that caravans are likely to be used as semipermanent dwellings for some time to come, the Council have decided to establish a site capable of accommodating approximately 125 caravans, with a high standard of sanitary and other amenities. 11 OFFENSIVE TRADES There is no establishment in the district carrying on an Offensive Trade. PREVENTION OF ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION The general standard of efficiency in the management of industrial furnaces in the area is. satisfactory and ready co-operation is received from firms guilty of occasional lapses. During the year, 209 observations were made on factory chimneys and, arising from subsequent action, one firm installed a grit arrestor, another converted two Lancashire boilers to automatic stoking, and another made adaptations to their plant which resulted in a considerable reduction of smoke. THE FACTORIES ACT, 1937 There are one hundred and forty-four factories with mechanical power and nine factories without mechanical power on the Register, with a range of products including :— Aircraft, building materials, caravans, carbon products, cheese, chocolate, cocoa, coffee extracts, electrical transformers, furniture, lubricating oil, optical lenses, potato crisps, pianos, radio, radar, television, gramophone records and gramophones, rubber, tarmacadam, and wood-block floors. Inspection of Factories. Premises Number on Register Number of Inspections Written Notices Occupiers Prosecuted Factories with mechanical power 144 603 24 1 Factories without mechanical power 9 27 — — Other premises under the Act (including work of building and engineering construction but not including outworkers' premises) — — — — Total 153 630 24 1 Defects Found. Particulars Number of defects Found Remedied* Sanitary Accommodation (Section 7) : Insufficient 2 9 Unsuitable or defective 68 66 Not separate for sexes — — Other offences 8 — Total 78 75 * (including defects found, but not remedied, in 1950) 12 Outworkers. Part VIII of the Factories Act requires the occupier of a factory who employs persons to carry out certain classes of work in their own homes to supply a list of such persons to the District Council every six months. Fifty-five notifications have been received and one hundred and thirty-five inspections made ; in every instance the work was found to be carried out under suitable conditions. HOUSING During the year 1951 the following houses and prefabricated bungalows were completed : 1951 Post-war total to 31/12/51 Permanent houses 129 1,140 Temporary bungalows — 224 Houses rebuilt after destruction by enemy action 3 69 Houses rendered habitable after serious damage by enemy action 3 Adaptation of unoccupied buildings — 10 1.—Inspection of houses during the year : (l) (a) Total number of dwelling houses inspected for housing defects (under Public Health or Housing Acts) 535 (b) Number of inspections made for the purpose 2,260 (2) (a) Number of dwelling houses which were inspected and recorded under the Housing Consolidated Regulations, 1925 and 1932 (b) Number of inspections made for the purpose 1 2 (3) Number of dwelling houses found to be in a state so dangerous or injurious to health as to be unfit for human habitation 23 (4) Number of dwelling houses (exclusive of those referred to under the preceding sub-head) found not to be in all respects reasonably fit for human habitation 366 2.—Remedy of Defects during the year without the service of Formal Notices. Number of dwelling houses rendered fit in consequence of informal action by the Local Authority or their Officers 257 13 3.—Action under Statutory Powers during the year. (1) Proceedings under Sections 9, 10 and 16 of the Housing Act, 1936 : (a) Number of dwelling houses in respect of which notices were served requiring repairs 3 (b) Number of dwelling houses which were rendered fit after service of formal notices : (i) By owners 3 (ii) By Local Authority in default of owners — (2) Proceedings under Public Health Act, 1936 : (a) Number of dwelling houses in respect of which notices were served requiring defects to be remedied 36 (b) Number of dwelling houses in which defects were remedied after service of formal notices : (i) By owners 30 (ii) By Local Authority in default of owners (iii) Partly complied with, but not yet complete 6 (3) Proceedings under Sections 11 and 13 of the Housing Act, 1936 : (a) Number of dwelling houses in respect of which Demolition Orders were made or Undertakings given Nil (b) Number of dwelling houses demolished in pursuance of Demolition Orders Nil (4) Proceedings under Section 12 of the Housing Act, 1936 : (a) Number of separate tenements or underground rooms in respect of which Closing Orders were made Nil (b) Number of separate tenements or underground rooms in respect of which Closing Orders were determined, the tenement or room having been rendered fit Nil INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD (a) Milk Supply. A register of Dairies and Milk Distributors (other than dairy farms and farmers) is maintained and the numbers shown on the register are : Milk Distributors 20 Dairies 10 14 The following licences have been issued : Designation Dealer's Licence Supplementary Licence Tuberculin Tested 7 11 Pasteurised 7 12 Sterilised 14 13 On October 1st, 1951, an order made under Section 23 of the Food and Drugs (Milk, Dairies and Artificial Cream) Act, 1950, came into force specifying this district, amongst many others, as one within which the use of special designations in relation to milk sold by retail became obligatory. During the year fifty-eight samples of milk were taken for bacteriological examination with the following results : Raw T. T. Pasteurised Pasteurised T.T. Number of Samples 4 44 10 Satisfactory 2 42 9 Doubtful 1 1 — Unsatisfactory 1 1 1 In addition, one sample of raw T.T. milk was submitted for the guinea pig inoculation test and was found to be free from tuberculosis. It has not been necessary to take any action under Article 20 of the Milk and Dairies Regulations, 1949, to prohibit the sale of milk. (b) Ice Cream. Eighty-four persons are registered for the sale of ice cream in the district and eleven for its manufacture. All the latter use methods of heat treatment laid down in the Ice Cream (Heat Treatment) Regulations. In sampling, emphasis has been placed on our own manufacturers and on unwrapped ice cream brought into the district from other areas. Eighty-eight samples were taken and graded as follows : Grade I 68 or 77.27% Grade II 6 or 6.82% Grade III 12 or 13.64% Grade IV 2 or 2.27% 88 100.00% 15 Four of the Grade III samples were not made in this district and six more of the Grade III and both the Grade IV samples were obtained from one local manufacturer, mainly at various points on his plant, to ascertain the cause of previous unsatisfactory samples. The cause was found and six subsequent samples of his finished product were all placed in Grade I. Fifteen samples of water ices or ice lollies were taken, of which ten were satisfactory, one doubtful and four unsatisfactory. It is apparent that manufacturers who had no difficulty in attaining good results from the old method of preparation, i.e., tap water mixed with fruit cordial, will have to use much greater care when using an ice cream base for these articles. (c) The inspection of Meat and Other Foods. There is no Ministry of Food slaughterhouse in the district, but the inspection of meat and other foods in butchers' shops, grocers and provision dealers, cafes and canteens, forms one of the Sanitary Inspectors' most important duties. During the year 760 pounds of meat, 236 pounds of canned corned beef or mutton, and 2,160 pounds of other canned meat were condemned. During the year nine pigs were slaughtered under licence. All were examined and found to be free from tuberculosis but some part or organ of three of them was condemned for other diseases. The following foods (other than meat) were also condemned during the year : Cheese 40 lbs. Milk 144 tins Cereals 178 lbs. Rabbits 420 lbs. Sausages 34 lbs. Salad Cream 100 bottles Eggs (Shell) 101 doz. Soup 79 tins Biscuits 48 lbs. Fish Cakes 141 Fish 604 lbs. Vegetables 538 tins Fruit (fresh) 400 lbs. Meat and Fish Paste 309 jars Fruit (tinned) 522 tins Poultry 132 lbs. Preserves 94 jars/tins Tomato Puree 5,548 lbs. All others 200 lbs. (d) Meat Transport. The conditions under which meat is transported from the wholesale depots to butchers' shops continues to be a matter for concern. Frequent representations have been made to the Meat Transport Organisation, and minor improvements, such as the provision of head coverings to loaders and keeping the shutters of vans closed whilst in motion, have been carried out. But so long as meat is stacked to the full capacity of a vehicle, and then dragged over surfaces which have been soiled with the loaders boots, the position cannot be regarded as satisfactory. 16 (e) Food Handling Byelaws. Byelaws made under Section 15 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, for securing the observance of hygienic practices in connection with the sale of food came into operation on the 24th July, 1950, and have been particularly helpful in improving the manner in which food is displayed on shop counters and in promoting a high standard for mobile canteens and other street traders. Contraventions of the byelaws have been dealt with by informal notice or letter and have, in every instance, been complied with. (f) Clean Food Campaign. During the year the Food Hygiene Guild has made steadyprogress. Regular meetings have been held, at which problems affecting food traders have been discussed, and the press publicity arising from these meetings has undoubtedly been very valuable in keeping the importance of this subject constantly in the public eye. In March, a public film show, arranged in conjunction with the Central Office of Information, was held. The films, " Another Case of Food Poisoning," " Fly About the House," and " The Good Housewife in Her Kitchen," were shown, and although the response from the public was not good, an attendance of more than 200 schoolchildren made the effort well worth while. In July a public meeting, to which all food handlers in the district were given personal invitations, was addressed by Dr. W. Howard Hughes, of the Public Health Laboratory Service. The large audience found the talk interesting and instructive and showed, by their questions at the close of the address, that it had also been thought provoking. During the year food hygiene propaganda posters supplied by the Central Council for Health Education, have been posted on the Council's notice boards in all parts of the district and changed at frequent intervals. (g) Licensed Premises. The general standard of hygiene in public houses in the district is good. Special attention, during the year, has been directed to methods of glass washing and to the use of overspilled beer. Although it would be difficult to prove that overspill has been the cause of food-borne disease, it is, nevertheless, considered that a practice which involves the sale of beer almost certainly contaminated by the server's hands and, in the case of a refilled glass, the hands and saliva of the customer, should not be accepted. The matter is one of considerable economic importance to the trade but negotiations with brewers and licensees are being carried on to obtain a solution. 17 (h) Sampling of Food and Drugs. The sampling of food and drugs for chemical analysis is carried out by the Middlesex County Council and the following information regarding samples obtained during the year has been kindly supplied by the Senior Public Control Officer : 234 samples were taken, including 158 of milk ; 17 (including 16 of milk) were found to be unsatisfactory. (i) Food Poisoning. No cases of food poisoning were reported in the district during 1951. (j) Inspection of Food Premises. (i) Inspections. Premises Total number in District Inspections Made Restaurants and cafes 39 560 Ice cream dealers and manufacturers 84 291 Licensed premises 30 93 Dairies and milk distributors' premises 25 35 Preserved food premises 58 106 Bakehouses 19 102 Butchers' shops 28 346 Grocers'shops and wholesale depots 66 486 Fish shops 14 101 Greengrocer' shops 34 193 Food hawkers' premises 40 77 Mobile canteens 3 14 (ii) Defects remedied. Total Cleanliness improved 96 Structural repairs 52 Ventilation improved 10 Equipment improved 21 Hot water supplies improved 33 Clean towels provided 8 Food storage accommodation improved 43 Rodent infestation abated 14 Other improvements 50 RODENT CONTROL Two whole-time rodent operators are employed. Treatment is carried out in accordance with the methods suggested by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. A charge to cover labour and cost of materials is made for work done in business premises but all treatment at dwelling houses is free. During the year 524 dwelling houses and 223 business premises were treated and also many hedges and undeveloped sites. It was not necessary to take any statutory action under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949. 18 Perry & Routleff Ltd., Uxbridge and Ealing