[Report 1953] / Medical Officer of Health, Liskeard Borough.

  • Liskeard (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1953
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1953] / Medical Officer of Health, Liskeard Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/24 (page 6)
    Ov'/ing however to the great infliijc of visitors into the County during the sui'inier season, there is a distinct tendency for small, badly equipped estahlishaments of this unsatisfo-ctor^ type to spring hastil^.^ into existence at the beginning of the season 'v.dth the intention of fmictioning for the suraiier season only. In such circujnstances the proprietors arc understandphly not inclined or anxious to spend much on premises, and equipment, althou^ in the course of four or five months a surprisingly large amount of food may be prepared and eaten in these pls.ces. Another difficulty which fanes the catering industry springs from the seasonal fluctuation in trade, I refer to the necessity for engaging additional staff to meet the heavy summer demand on cateidng facilities, and here the dnfficiilty of o'btaining good, experienced enployees for seasonal work is evident. This is unavoidable, but none the less unfortunate, since the commonest source of food poisoning is the inexperienced or careless food handler. Promises, and equipment may be above reproach, but if the food handlers ane inc:q3erienced or careless the danger of an outbrealc of food poisoning is adways present. Apart from the obvious necessity of spening the public the distressing and exhausting illness which results from contaminated food, the occurrence of outbreaI:s of food poisoning in a tourist and holiday area, such as Comv/all is, can have serious financial repercussions on the to-urist industry. It is only fair to add tliat in the last five years the number of cases of food poisoning in this ...trea has been extremely small, and in no case has any catering establishnient been involved - a tribute to the good standards of cleanliness which exist in the catering industry, I trust these standards will be maintained in future years. The Y/elfare of old persons continued to give some anxiety during 1555» severa.1 cases old. men and vromen were reported, as living alone in squalid insanitary circtimstances, \id.th, in addition, an appreciable risk of fire existed as a result of careless handling of oil lamps, candd.es, and paraffin oil. In almost all cases it Vira.s difficult or impossible to get rela.tives to undertaJie the care of or responsibility for these old. persons. For much the same reasons which preclud.ed relatives from helping - the senile, eccentric, and unreasonable attitud.e of most of these old people- - it Y/as not possible to find a home help \/ho v/ould. face up to the task of cleaning up the home, and. trying to get the old person to co-operate in keeping it reasonably clean. In the majority of cases, where it was felt that the old person could not continue to live at home, it vr8.s possible to persuade them to enter an instit¬ ution or a hospital. In one case hov«3ver an old man of 83 refused to see reason, and because of the filthy and insaniteuy conditions und.er which he was living application was made to a Court of Surramry Jurisdiction under Section 47 of the National Assistance Act 194^* The llagistrates made an order for his removal and. detention in Lo.mellion Hospital, Liskeau’d, v/here he subsequently remained of liis ovwi free vrill, v/ithout the necessity for having the order renewed, I have written before of the importance of good housing in promoting and.iinjntc.ining hca.lth and it is heartening to be able to report good progress on this front during 1953* In the rural districts it YYould appear that the numbers of new houses becoiming available for letting are adequate to satisfy almost all the demands in those districts. In the urban parts of the Area the demand still e:cceeds the supply, but even here the clamour for rehousing is not so loud or insistent as in previous years. It is true of course that the higlier rents and rates attaching to most Council houses deter majiy families vdao need rehousing from applying, and in that