[Report 1940] / Medical Officer of Health, Canterbury Borough / City & County.

  • Canterbury (England). City & County Council.
Date:
1940
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1940] / Medical Officer of Health, Canterbury Borough / City & County. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. To His Worship the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the City and County Borough of Canterbury. Mr. Mayor, Cadies and Genteemen,— In presenting my Annual Report on the Health Administration of the County Borough of Canterbury, together with the report of the Chief Sanitary Insi)ector for the year 1940, I feel that the Committee will realise that a considerable amount of work has been involved owing to the change-over of Canterbury from a Reception area to a Voluntary Evacuation area. In view of the increasing pressure of work and the need for strict economy in the use of paper, the Ministry of Health have instructed that an interim report only shall be made and conse- quently I am presenting the Annual Report for 1940 in a shortened form. Early in the year the evacuees from the Medway Towns were moved from this area and in September, with the increased enemy aerial activity, a voluntary evacuation of the City took ])lace and approximately 8,500 people left Canterbury. Special arrangements were made for evacuation of Expectant Mothers. Bearing in mind the unfavourable circumstances existing, ])articnlarly towards the end of the year, owing to enemy action and the amount of time spent by people in air raid shelters, the health of the City has been good and there were no epidemics, although 45 cases of cerebro-spinal fever were notified during 1940. Of these, 15 were military patients and there were only 3 deaths. The incidence of this disease appears to have been fairly general throughout the country. There was a slightly higher number of Scarlet Fever cases and this was due to the increase in the military population in the district. The Assistant Sanitary Inspector—Mr. A. R. Clark—was ' called up for military service in June and arrangements were made first for the Assistant from the Bridge-Blcan R.D.C. and later (when he was called up) for the Assistant from Favcrsham to help in the inspection of meat in Canterbury. I am greatly indebted to the Chairman and ISIembers of the Public Health Committee and also to the Town Clerk and other officials of the Council for the help given during the year. I have the honour to be. Your obedient servant, W. G. EVANS, Medical Officer of Health.