[Report 1921] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, Swindon Borough.

  • Swindon (Wiltshire, England). Borough Council.
Date:
1921
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1921] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, Swindon Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    5/148 (page 3)
    36 To the Chairman and Members of the Health, etc., Committee. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have much pleasure m submitting my Annual Report of the work done in the Sanitary Department during the year 1921. The tables annexed are compiled in order to form a ready digest of the work done in the Department. It hardly needs any comment of mine for the Committee to realize that we are not yet back to the normal conditions which were in existence before the war ; labour and financial difficulties are two important factors m impeding the progress of work urgently needed to be done. A perusal of the tables will show that the result achieved is really good under the circumstances. Litigation is conspicuous by its absence though on several occasions this had to be threatened. The most difficult h\ gienic problem c f the present day is that of overcrowding. In Swindon we have many houses which are occupied by more than one family and as our houses are not constructed to meet this condition the evil is aggravated. Many tales of woe arising out of this cause ar^ related to the Sanitary Inspectors, wdio are helpless to alleviate the trouble. r More time than usual was occupied in making investigations in connection with the outbreaks of infectious disease, so that the supervision of alterations to drainage work, etc., which is usually done by myself was relegated to the Assistant Sanitary Inspector. The table dealing with meat and food destroyed shows a considerable decrease from last year. This does not mean a lack of supervision but rather the reverse. The butchers having a system of compensation amongst themselves it is to their interest not to drain their funds more than can possibly be helped. One is pleased to be able to report that no complaint has been registered against any one of the twenty Registered and Licenced Slaughterhouses within the Borough. The killing of pigs privately within the Borough has increased much of late and has entailed extra supervision on the part of the Inspectors. There is in existence in the District a Pig Keepers’ Association and it is the custom now for the slaughterman whe kills for tne Association to notify this Department when he slaughters for any of its members within our area. Within the Borough and coming directly under our supervision are 20 Slaughter-