Dr. E.P. Manby's report to the Local Government Board upon the sanitary circumstances and administration of the County Borough of West Hartlepool.

  • Manby, E. P.
Date:
1912
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. E.P. Manby's report to the Local Government Board upon the sanitary circumstances and administration of the County Borough of West Hartlepool. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    health committee, and to Dr. Garalen, that if he is to give effective service the medical officer of health should be recognised as the head of the public health department, and as such he should supervise and keep closely in touch with all work undertaken by the department. Throughout my visit I was impressed forcibly by the evidence of . need for systematic sanitary inspection in the poorer districts of West Hartle])ool, and for special attention to the many dirty houses existing therein. The council would be well advised to reorganise tlieir public health department at an early date upon the lines indicated above. I do not think that two or even three certificated sanitary inspectors can be considered adequate for a town of over 60,000 inhabitants. The allowance usually recommended is about one inspector to 10,000 population, and 1 do not consider that tlie neces- sary work in West Hartlepool could be done thoroughly at present with fewer than four certificated inspectors.* Ch)NCLUDiNG Observations and Recommendations. I held the usual informal conference at the town clerk’s office before commencing a detailed inspection of West Hartlepool, and I was then led to believe that the town was in first class condition from a sanitary point of view. I was told in fact that everything was so satisfactory that there would not be sufficient work for a whole time medical officer of health. It is only fair to Dr. (xamlen to say that he did not express agreement with these remarks. Similar statements have been made to the Board in letters from the town council. It will be clear from this report that even judging from the sanitary circumstances to which I have referred I am unable to agree with these statements ; and apart altogether from sanitary circumstances the duties of a medical officer of health must be considered from a broader point of view. As head of the public health department of his district the medical officei’ of health must give some attention to detail in regard to the inspection of dwellings, of dairies, cowsheds and milkshops, of all premises where food for human consumption is prepared or stored, and so on ; but in addition there are broad questions to be considered and lines of policy to be evolved in regai'cl to the public health of the district. For example, it is not merely details of sanitary inspec- tion and the investigation of specific outbreaks of infectious disease which concern the medical officer of health to-day. He must interest himself in the more general questions of possible physical deterioration, of infantile mortality, tuberculosis, housing, occupation diseases, and the like, as affecting his particular district. In regard to tuberculosis, recent legislation and regulations must of necessity place a large amount of new work upon the shouldei’s of the medical officer of health. It is not to be supposed that West Hartlepool will wish to be behind other large towns in respect of the provision and administration of dispensaries and sanatoria. ] learn while this report is passing through the press that the town council have appointed Mr. Wheat as consulting inspector of nuisances, and have assigned districts to Messrs. Robinson and Durkin.