[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough].

  • Islington (London, England). Metropolitan Borough.
Date:
[1958?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    3/88 (page 1)
    1 Public Health Department, Town Hall, N.l. To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington. The Annual Report which I have the honour to present on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington for the year 1957 records steady if unspectacular and unco-ordinated advances in the environmental health services contributing to the health and welfare of the people. New Acts and new Regulations, such as those mentioned in the body of this Report, not only affect the work of the staff of the Public Health Department but also the well-being of citizens in ways of which they are probably not normally aware until an event occurs which affects them personally, bringing this Department into action, or less frequently, unfortunately, they take a deliberate interest in what may appear to be the somewhat humdrum health or other services of the local authorities. The vital statistics for the year continued the favourable trend, with exceptions. The birth-rate has continued to increase slightly, the death-rate to decrease slightly and the infant mortality rate remains at the same low level as last year, although as indicated in the comments on vital statistics there is still scope for the further saving of infant life. Deaths due to tuberculosis of the lungs were also fewer in number than ever previously recorded, although this in itself should be no reason for com placency—still less should there be complacency yet in regard to the number of new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. These, unfortunately, are not lessening as speedily as the reduction of deaths from this cause. Although modern forms of treatment give much better hope of recovery, especially when the disease is diagnosed in the early stages, treatment is still long-term and the disturbance in the normal life of the patient, and probably his family, remain a problem. Prevention, therefore remains the main objective and there is no one single answer to this. All possible means of prevention and early diagnosis must be employed, including Mass X-ray (and Isling ton is fortunate in having had a Static Mass X-ray Unit in the Borough for several years now), inoculation with B.C.G. to groups considered to be at more than average risk (carried out by the London County Council, and Chest Physicians of the Regional Hospital Board), and, of course, personal attention to good hygiene, nutrition and housing. The outlook when we come to consider deaths due to malignant growths of the lung and bronchus, however, can only be termed disquieting. The number ascribed to this cause for 1957 was the highest on record so far, at 152. The Minister of Health formally accepted some time ago the conclusion that there was a causal relationship between the development of lung cancer and heavy cigarette smoking, and although no-one is prepared to state that there would be no lung cancer cases in the absence of tobacco smoking, there is increasing evidence that a high propor tion, perhaps two-thirds or even three-quarters of all lung cancers are preventable Pollution of the atmosphere may contribute in some smaller degree to lung cancer, but no evidence has so far been brought forward which seriously contraverts cigarette smoking as the principal factor responsible for the increase over a long term. Another major group of deaths in Islington is ascribed to bronchitis and the Islington and London rates are well above the National average. Evidence is accumulating that bronchitis incidence is closely related to atmospheric pollution and this being the case, much bronchitis should be preventable with an improvement