[Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health, Milnrow U.D.C.

  • Milnrow (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1959
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1959] / Medical Officer of Health, Milnrow U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/16 (page 7)
    Annual Reoort of the Public Health Inspector for the year, 1959 To the Chairman and Members of the Health Committee of the Urban District Council Lady and Gentlemen, I have much pleasure in submitting to you my fifteenth Annual Deport, The basic neods of Public Health always remain the same: Clean Air, Pure Pater supply. Safe and wholesome food, Suitable and sufficient housing. Owing to the ever ohanging mode of living and the advance of science, the problems of general environmental conditions are constantly changing and the method of dealing with the problems reouires a eorientation from time to time. One of the changes at the present time is in the retailing of food. In the self-service type of shop, all articles arc pre-packed, many of them cooked., only recuiring re-heating; also there is the deep freeze foods. The method of pre-packing lias many advantages from the hygenic point of view, but there are several factors which I am of the opinion should receive further consideration:- Are all foods suitable for pre-packing, Is there a loss of nutritive value and palatability. Are we using the right packing materials. Should there be a definite time limit from packing to sale. Regarding Frozen Poods (1) Are frozen foods defrosted a sufficient length of time before cooking and re-heating, (2) Are these frozen food.s which are cooked and rcouir^ re-heating, re-heated to a sufficient temperature,, Another feature which is receiving attention is Atmospheric Pollution, Although many smoke control areas are being created and visible smoke being practicadly eliminated, further ccucid~ atiox. should be given to eliminate the sulphur and other gases which are products of combustion. There is also the products from the interna? combustion engine, Pith the increase of motor vehicles (petrol and diesel) is the concentration of waste gases from these vehicles whore congestion of traffic occurs, sufficient to cause harmful effects to the individual in the vicinity, I am of the opinion that much useful information could be obtained by sampling the air in areas in cities and towns where there is traffic congestion. The amount of pollution from industrial sources in the d.istrict is reducing as a reults of redundancy and closing of mills, and. the electrification of mills. There are three cotton mills and one vroollcn mill which have recently closed d.own. Of the remainder, 11 now only generate steam for heating and processing, the driving being done by electricity. This leaves only 7 which use steam for driving. Also, many bakehouses hav- changed frem solid fuel to gas or electricity and there are now only 3 using solid, fuel. (a) Cb)