[Report 1953] / Medical Officer of Health, Chard U.D.C. / Borough.

  • Chard (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1953
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1953] / Medical Officer of Health, Chard U.D.C. / Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    BOROUGH OF CHARD AnnuaJ Report of the MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough of Chard. Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the honour to submit my Report for 1953. . It was a satisfactory year. There was an increase in the Birth Rate and a slight decrease in the Death Rate. The social circumstances of the people in the Town have probably never been better. Apart from Measles very few infectious diseases were notified. The Health Services were maintained at a high standard, but the public response to the Diphtheria Campaign was disappointing. A very much higher percentage of the child population should be immunized than at present if the threat of a potential outbreak of Diphtheria is to be removed. I am pleased to be able to report that a temporary solution to the problem of water shortage had been reached by the end of the year. I think the difficulties the Council Housing Committee have to contend with in connection with licensed caravan sites should be realized by the townspeople. I also think that in these days of increased aid for house purchase people would be wiser to invest their money in buying a permanent unit of housing accommodation, rather than buy a caravan which has a limited life as a permanent residence. The standard of hygiene in food handling has improved considerably in the last few years. However, there is still room for improvement in some homes. Some of the shops selling food in Chard have taken advantage of the relaxation in restrictions to improve their methods of displaying food. They no longer leave the food exposed to the air, to be coughed over by possible intending customers. However, there are still many shops who pay scant attention to such elementary principles of hygiene. In the interests of their own family’s health housewives should show their distaste of such outmoded methods by only dealing at shops where they know their food has received the most careful and hygienic handling before purchase. I wish to record my thanks to Mr. Webb for his help in compiling this report and for the courtesy shown me by the Council throughout the year. I am, Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, A. M. McCALL, Medical Oflacer of Health. SECTION A Statistics and Social Conditions of the Area Population The Registrar General estimates the mid- year population for Chard as 5,354. This shows a slight increase on the previous year. The number of houses increase each year and a gradual small increase in popu- lation can be anticipated during the next 10 years. In Appendix A. Table 1 are shown the General Statistics of the Town. B'irth Rate. The Birth Rate for the year was 16.6 per thousand, an increase on the figure of 13.6 for 1952. When the comparability factor is taken into account the figure of 17.9 is well above thd corresponding figure of 15.5 for England and Wales as a whole. Reference to Appendix A. Table 2 shows the full details. Death Rate. The Death Rate was 11.0 per thousand, slightly lower than last year. When the comparability factor is allowed for, the figure of 9.57 compares favourably with 11.4 for England and Wales as a w^hole. The causes of death are listed in Appendix A. Table 3. Once again more people died from Heart Disease than any other condi-