[Report 1963] / Medical Officer of Health, Ipswich County Borough.

  • Ipswich (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1963
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1963] / Medical Officer of Health, Ipswich County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    7/170 (page 5)
    In urban areas througout the country there appears to have been a gradual decrease in smoke of a few % per year on average, and over a total of six years smoke concentrations have gone down by some 20%. Over the same period the annual emission of industrial smoke decreased from 600 to 200 thousand tons, and of domestic smoke from 1,200 to 1,100 thousand tons. In the case of S02 there is no evidence of a trend before 1959-60, but since then concentrations have fallen by about 15%, or an average of about 3% per year. This is particularly satisfactory since the total emission of S02 increased by some 10% over the last six years. The statistics on page 119 show an increase in the S02 in the atmosphere. Since 1951 this Authority has carried out skin testing as a method of finding active tuberculosis in its school population. Commencing first with the Jelly test, Heaf testing was substituted in 1953/54 and has continued up to this year. Approximately 90% of those children offered this Heaf testing have accepted it, and a comprehensive table is illustrated on page 65. It seems from the results that this is not a very effective method of finding active tuberculosis, although the number of positives at 13 years of age during the last two years has risen. The reason for this is being investigated. The total number of deaths from cancer was 276, compared with 266 last year, although 164 of these were over 65 years of age. Cancer of the cervix is preventable and there is a growing body of opinion that all women between the ages of 25 and 65 should be offered regular screening by cervical smears. The laboratories at the moment could not cope with this number of specimens, but additional technicians are being trained. If vaginal cytology is confined only to gynaecological out-patients it is estimated that a high proportion (89%) of all cervical carcinoma will be undetected until symptoms appear and there is a higher risk of an unsuccessful outcome. I think all should help in this—medical practitioners as well as the Local Authority clinics—the sooner the better. If preventable, why not prevented? I am very grateful to the members of the Committee for their continuous assistance, and to the staff for their help and co¬ operation. I have the honour to be. Your obedient Servant, REGINALD A. LEADER, Medical Officer of Health. October, 1964.