[Report 1958] / Medical Officer of Health, Buxton Borough.

  • Buxton (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1958
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1958] / Medical Officer of Health, Buxton Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    4/40 (page 2)
    BOROUGH OP BUXTON ANNUAL REPORT of the JVIEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. B^or the Year, 1958. Public Health Department, Telo No. Buxton 2060 Town Hall, Buxton. To the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Buxton, Mr, Ma3^or, Ladies and Gentlemen, I beg to present the Annual Report for the year 1958. This report is compiled on similar lines to last year v.ith minor modification to comply with suggestions from the Ministry of Health. The first seven months of the period were covered b3’- my predecessor, Dr. Cochrane, to whom I am indebted for the records forming the basis of the report for that part, and the vital statistics are based on information supplied by the Registrar General Office. Buxton is situated on the upper reaches of the Y/ye at an elevation of approximately ,000 feot above sea level. The mid-year population is 19j250 of whom a large part are engaged directly cr indireccl.v in the work of running a first class small holiday resort and spa^ A further proportion find their emploj^miont in the nearby important lime-stone quarries to the north-east and south of the area and also in an important light industrial undertaking in Chapel-en-le-Frith. The general health of the District has been good throughout the period, a‘’.tliough the death rate at 14.2 vi^here the comparability factor of 0.93 has been applied is higher than that for England and Wales and higher than for the previous year, vi^hen it v/as alm.cst the same as that for the remainder of the Country, The basis for this increased rate is an incioase of seventy-five or y5% over the number of deaths for the previous year. During the year an increase occurred in malignant disease, which at 45 in number is 13 up, with a jump in Lung Cancer from 5 cases to 9 - no less than eight occurring in maloso Y/ith regard to lung cancer, while all the factors ard causotion are unknovm, statistical evidence implicates both atmospheric pollution and cigarette smoking. The battle to cleanse our air from atmospheric pollution will need pro].onged concentrated efforts by all the authorities concerned and involve not only considerable expenditure, but also more complicated research into certain industrial manufacturing methods before it can be won, while cigarette smoking is a matter for the individual himself to control. The less one smokes, the smaller ones chances of d;3’'ing from lung cancer. The confirmed addict v/ould do well to cu.'G down, while the adolescent would do well to pause before starting a personal habit injurious to his health which is both difficult to abandon and expensive to maintain and the cause incidentally of considerable annual damage duo to fire.