[Report 1911] / Medical Officer of Health, Devonport County Borough.

  • Devonport (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1911] / Medical Officer of Health, Devonport County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Municipal Offices, Devonport. To His Worship The Mayor, Aedermen and Councieeors OF THE County Borough of Devonport. Genteemen, I have the honour to submit my Seventh Annual Report on the Health and Sanitary condition of the Borough, together with the Report on the Medical Inspection of School Children. The death rate of last year (lowest in the history of the Borough) has been somewhat increased this year by the prevalence of measles and infantile diarrhoea. Alteration of figures neces- sitated by the Census has introduced a new element into the calculation. Our good fortune in having only four cases of poliomyelitis and two cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis, (which were widely prevalent and fatal in some districts of the County), I have no hesitation in ascribing to the promptitude and efficiency with which the necessary sanitary measures for preventing their spread were carried out. It is still to be deplored that the infantile mortality rate maintains an unnecessarily high level due to preventable conditions. The appointment of a Health Visitor referred to in the body of the Report is one from which I have the most hopeful anticipations. In connection with the new Housing and Town Planning Act, 1909, many essential reforms have been carried out. Frequently unavoidable hardship is inflicted upon the “ owner ” who holds the property for a period terminable, it may be, in a few months, and who is called upon by the provisions of the Act to effect repairs, often extensive and costly, to improve the property of another,