[Report 1952] / Medical Officer of Health, Llwchwr U.D.C.

  • Llwchwr (Wales). Urban District Council.
Date:
1952
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Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1952] / Medical Officer of Health, Llwchwr U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    23/36 (page 21)
    The Fluoridation of Domestic Water Supplies. As long ago as 1947 in my Annual Report, I stated that fluoridation held promise in the prevention of dental caries. A notable report on fluoridation by the Government Mission which went to the United States of America and Canada in February 1952, to study the fluoridation projects in North America has now been published. The authors of this report leave their readers in no doubt as to their conviction that the presence of natural fluorides in domestic water supplies reduce very markedly the incidence of dental caries not only in young persons, but also in adults up to middle age, and that artificially fluoridated waters act in precisely the same way as those contain- ing natural fluorides. I would be inclined to the view that it will be some time before fluoridation will be generally used, but it is desirable that we in this area should be on the alert. I am only mentioning this matter from a public health point of view, but there are engineering and financial problems which have to be considered. Weat, and Other Foods :— During the War, and also since cessation of hostilities, the slaughtering of cattle, sheep and pigs (e.xcept the slaughtering of cottager’s pig), is centralised at the Swansea Abbattoir, and therefore the Department is not in a position to furnish informa- tion relating to inspection and condemnation of cattle, etc., as required in Paragraph 8 of Circular 42/51 (Wales). BREAD. Agene is used by British millers in flour. Experimental work has proved that this substance can cause a nervous disease in dogs, which is characterised by a form of hysteria. Some countries do not permit the use of this substance in bread and I understand that the United States of America is one of them. Some of the medical profession are disturbed by the use of this substance in the food which has been labelled the staff of life. It has been pointed out that men are not dogs, and that whilst agene produces a form of hysteria in dogs, there is no proof that it has such an effect on human beings. It has been counter-suggested that whilst it may not produce the same symptoms as in canines, it may affect the health of susceptible people, especially when con- sumed over a period of years. This subject of agene leaves one vaguely disturbed, but in the present state of our knowledge it is desirable that one should have an open mind.