[Report 1969] / Medical Officer of Health, Birmingham.

  • Birmingham (England). Council.
Date:
1969
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1969] / Medical Officer of Health, Birmingham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    that one could argue that playgroups and child minding should have been transferred to the Education Service rather than to the Social Service Depart- ments that are to be developed. Deaths from coronary disease and angina continue to increase. The 2,584 deaths in 1969 represented almost 1 in 5 of all deaths. The 579 deaths of men from lung cancer represented a fall of 33. One hopes this indicates that, at long last, advice not to smoke is being heeded—at least by some men. Deaths of women rose again and a record figure of 111 deaths was attained. More than 1 in 4 of all fatal cancers are lung cancers. The great deal of money and effort expended upon prevention of atmos- pheric pollution is having success which it is now easy to see. Particularly in the inner and middle areas of the City, surfaces, fabrics and vegetation have become noticably cleaner. Our eight sets of rather rudimentary recording apparatus also demonstrate, by the graph on page 34 the diminished amounts of solid deposit and of sulphur dioxide in the environment of those who dwell and work in Birmingham. The popularity of the programme has been somewhat marred by the restricted supplies of some solid smokeless fuels, but consumers are well advised to accept alternatives to the fuel of their first choice. Smokeless solid fuel appliances are designed to burn a wide range of fuels but a critical factor in all cases is to obtain a fuel in lumps of such size as suit the appliance and the rate of burning required. It was hoped that one effect of the rapid clearance of the slums would be a corresponding fall in the number of applications for rehousing on grounds of ill-health; but in fact nearly ten thousand applications were dealt with in 1969. Each application needs an investigation into the claim of ill-health as well as into living conditions cited as the cause or as aggravating the condition. There is then an assessment by a medical officer of the priority warranted. One reason for the continuing high level of applications is the difficulty some families experience in settling in a new environment, in more expensive accommodation, at greater distances from employment and, in particular, in flats rather than in houses. The year was notable for the introduction of vaccination against measles and, although the programme had to be curtailed through lack of supplies of vaccine, it seemed clear the vaccine had the effect of substantially suppressing an epidemic. There was again an increase in scabies which it is difficult to understand, bearing in mind the ever increasing opportunities for maintaining a good stand- ard of personal and domestic hygiene.