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Medical Officer for 27 Years – Doctor Relinquishes Goldthorpe Post

May 1948

South Yorkshire Times May 29, 1948

Medical Officer for 27 Years

Doctor Relinquishes Goldthorpe Post

Dr. J. Morris, of Goldthorpe, on Monday relinquishes his duties as Medical Officer of Health for the Goldthorpe area.

He retired from his position but is not retiring from general practice.

Dr. Morris has been practising in Goldthorpe for many years coming in 1910. In 1921 he was appointed Medical Officer of Health in succession to the late Dr. Burman.

Dr. Morris told a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter- “When I first took over there was a terrific epidemic of typhoid fever. The cases were so numerous that all the hospitals in the district were full. We had to utilise the Bolton-on-Dearne school as a private hospital for some of these cases. The death rate of these cases taken to the school which were much more severe than the others, was surprisingly low.”

Dr. Morris said the work in the district in the early days was heavy and hard due to the roads on which cycling was very hard work, and other hindrances and one of the biggest jobs was turning all the sanitary conveniences to the water drainage system. “I have.” he said, “been very lucky in having good helpers in the Sanitary Inspectors, Mr. Bates, then Mr. Allenby. Speaking on child welfare and clinics. Dr. Morris added, “The child welfare and ante-natal clinics in the Goldthorpe area are the best in any district in the country, both in numbers and the way they are conducted.”

Dr. Morris qualified in 1906 at. St. Andrew’s.