[Report 1935] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, Reading County Borough.

  • Reading (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1935
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1935] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, Reading County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    lines that have proved satisfactory in previous years. The number of children under one year and of those from one to five years attending the centres both show a notable increase on those of the previous year. Mental Welfare. The psychiatric clinic at the Royal Berkshire hospital has been continued during the year. The numbers availing themselves of this service, though not greatly increased, continue to be maintained. Rather more persons now avail themselves of the provisions of the Mental Treat¬ ment Act. There are now 44 patients in the Borocourt institution for mentally defectives, 8 males and 36 females, an increase of five during the year. The occupation centre at Watlington House has continued to serve a useful function in providing occupation and training suitable to the age and mental condition of 34 patients who are maintained under supervision at home. Care of the Blind. There were 140 blind persons on the register at the end of the year. During the year the Council made provision for increased financial assistance to the unemployable blind. The supervision of the work under the Blind Persons Act has been delegated to the Reading Association for the Welfare of the Blind which acts as agent for the Council. New arrangements of the relations between the Association and the Council have been effected during the year and new premises taken over. I am indebted to Mr. G. T. Willoughby Cashell for the note on the causes and prevention of blindness to which your attention is directed. Sanitary Supervision and Food Supply. The inspectors’ reports indicate that the standards maintained in the production and preparation of articles of food are satisfactory. Three prosecutions under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts were undertaken during the year. A new test, the phosphatase test, devised by Dr. H. D. Kay at the National Institute for Research in Dairying, to aid in the supervision of pasteurised milk, was brought into use during the year with satisfactory results. The decision of the council to provide new abattoirs will remedy a situation long felt to be unsatisfactory. A note on the subject of improved methods of sewage purification and refuse collection by Mr. A. S. Parsons, borough surveyor, is included in the report. Housing. The number of new houses constructed during the year, namely 970, exceeded the record number of the preceding year and represents the record amount of new construction in the history of the borough. The programme of slum clearance has been continued as in previous years and it may be claimed that the main areas have been dealt with,