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Three leaders pass on
HEALTH
PUBLIC
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF T H E
SOCIETY OF MEDICAL OFFICERS OF H E A L T H Telephone: EUSIon 3 9 2 3
TAVISTOCK HOUSE, TAVISTOCK SQUARE, LONDON, W.C.I
Telegrams: Epidauros, WestcenI
No. 12. Vol. LXVIII
SEPTEMBER, 1955
CI)NTIEN'I~ PAG)
PAGE
EDITORIAL Farewell ~nd Good Wishes Three Leaders Pass On
.
.
.
.
.
.
18!; 183
'l'hc l ' l o t m f l i . l l ~1 ;',h'ntal t h ' a i t h M ,l)., D P . M . . . . .
in 'homl,~ C h d d r c n ,
By
kV. \~,alIcn, 191
ORITUARY .I, B. ltow(.ll, E v e l y n C. M. M c G r e g o r , a n d E, H . W a l k e r
SPECIAL
ARTICLES
H e a l t h H a z a r d s in the A t o m i c Ac, t'. B y W. M. Levitt, M . D , F.F.R., I}.M.R E. . . . . lnlt.ctions of E a r l y l n l a m : v . Ii~ A: M e H i n R a m ~ a 3 , M.A., r~l.l~.
NEWS F.m(.l'., .
]8[ 18!)
EDITORIAL Farewell and Good Wishes Editors, though held responsible for m u c h anonymous c o m m e n t in t h e journals which they conduct, and indeed for m u c h else which they have not written themselves, are traditionally shy and impersonal creatures concealing t h e m selves, like rtionarchs and some other high functionaries, behind the words " we " and " us." But we are h u m a n after all and on this occasion, n a m e l y the last issue which the present editor will bring out after 20 years in the office (less f o u r of absence on other duties during the last war), feel some pardonable emotion at the parting. F r o m the point of view of the present writer, PUBLIC HEALTH had its heyday in the years 1935-39, w h e n publishing conditions w e r e m u c h less restrictive than they became during and since the war, and its appearance was more e x p a n s i v e - - t h o u g h not e x p e n s i v e - - t h a n of recent years. But we believe that t h r o u g h o u t those 20 years this journal has carried in its pages m u c h valuable contemporary t h o u g h t and experience put on paper by the leading figures in British public health, and that it has reflected its times and served its generation faithfully. T h e editor of a journal which is the official organ of a learned society must, we believe, always bear in the forefront of his m i n d the fact that the journal he edits is the only regular link between its sponsoring body and m a n y of the members. It m u s t thus try to give a general picture of the society's life and doings as well as reproducing the pick of the addresses and papers delivered to meetings of the Branches and Groups. In a subject so catholic as public health, one journal can only deal with a selection of the material which awaits perpetuity in print. Realising how " the iniquity of oblivion blindly scattereth her poppy " over the spoken word, the editor must feel acutely conscious of his authority and responsibility in giving space to this or that contribution. T h i s task and privilege the present writer passes on with the greatest confidence and good wishes to the new Editorial Board, which will take over PUBLIC HEALTH with the beginning of another volume next month. So, at the close of this 99th year of the Society's life and 68th v o l u m e of PUBLIC HEALTH, the time has come to thank most sincerely all those m a n y people who have assisted the retiring editor so freely during his term, to the printers who
AND
REPORTS
Vital Statistics, England and Wales, Second Quarter . S o c i e t y of Medical Offtters of Hea'.th, S e r v i c e s G r o u p .. North Western M.(.W. and S.H.S. Sub-Group~
.
.
. 197 ..
19~
have printed each n u m b e r and to the members of the Society and other readers who have shown such forebearance over our editorial shortcomings. T h r e e L e a d e r s Pass On As this issue of PUBLIC HEALTH has been prepared for the press there has come in the sad news of the deaths in close succession of three m e n who have made great contributions to public health and preventive medicine. T w o of them, Provost R. M. E. Picken, of the W e l s h National School of Medicine, and Dr. A n d r e w T o p p i n g , D e a n of the L o n d o n School of H y g i e n e and T r o p i c a l Medicine, were Presidents of the Society of Medical Officers of H e a l t h in the sessions 1944-45 and 1952-53 respectively. T h e third, Lord H o r d e r , t h o u g h not directly connected with the Public H e a l t h Service, did as m u c h as any medical m a n of his generation to promote m a n y causes which have a strong connection with the work of medical officers of health for the good of the community. Drs. Picken and T o p p i n g shared the unusual distinction that they were elected to our highest office whilst in academic posts, for b o t h had remained strong " Society m e n " after their careers had diverged from local government public health. Picken's main contributions were made in this country whilst T o p p i n g ' s were as important in W e s t e r n E u r o p e and in the Colonies as at home, but both were of the stature which has enhanced the public health branch of the profession. O n e interesting contrast in their methods comes to mind. Picken was a believer in the need to bring the preventive and curative branches together by reason and diplomacy, witness the great esteem in which he was held in the Council of the British Medical Association. T o p p i n g , whose L o n d o n period coincided with the inception of the National H e a l t h Service, had his deepest feelings stirred by the wrong direction in which he felt the service was going and his famous utterances on this subject, whilst not perhaps diplomatic, came from his heart and gained both a hearing and respect. L o r d H o r d e r in the medico-political field was another who was not happy about aspects of the N . H . S . , so his part in the Fellowship for F r e e d o m in Medicine is still mainly r e m e m b e r e d ; but we recall his long and courageous championship of the other causes which have been or will be won. in the interests of the national health. Full obituary notices o f our two Past Presidents whose loss is so lamented will appear in the next issue.
PUBLIC
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF T H E
SOCIETY OF MEDICAL OFFICERS OF H E A L T H Telephone: EUSIon 3 9 2 3
TAVISTOCK HOUSE, TAVISTOCK SQUARE, LONDON, W.C.I
Telegrams: Epidauros, WestcenI
No. 12. Vol. LXVIII
SEPTEMBER, 1955
CI)NTIEN'I~ PAG)
PAGE
EDITORIAL Farewell ~nd Good Wishes Three Leaders Pass On
.
.
.
.
.
.
18!; 183
'l'hc l ' l o t m f l i . l l ~1 ;',h'ntal t h ' a i t h M ,l)., D P . M . . . . .
in 'homl,~ C h d d r c n ,
By
kV. \~,alIcn, 191
ORITUARY .I, B. ltow(.ll, E v e l y n C. M. M c G r e g o r , a n d E, H . W a l k e r
SPECIAL
ARTICLES
H e a l t h H a z a r d s in the A t o m i c Ac, t'. B y W. M. Levitt, M . D , F.F.R., I}.M.R E. . . . . lnlt.ctions of E a r l y l n l a m : v . Ii~ A: M e H i n R a m ~ a 3 , M.A., r~l.l~.
NEWS F.m(.l'., .
]8[ 18!)
EDITORIAL Farewell and Good Wishes Editors, though held responsible for m u c h anonymous c o m m e n t in t h e journals which they conduct, and indeed for m u c h else which they have not written themselves, are traditionally shy and impersonal creatures concealing t h e m selves, like rtionarchs and some other high functionaries, behind the words " we " and " us." But we are h u m a n after all and on this occasion, n a m e l y the last issue which the present editor will bring out after 20 years in the office (less f o u r of absence on other duties during the last war), feel some pardonable emotion at the parting. F r o m the point of view of the present writer, PUBLIC HEALTH had its heyday in the years 1935-39, w h e n publishing conditions w e r e m u c h less restrictive than they became during and since the war, and its appearance was more e x p a n s i v e - - t h o u g h not e x p e n s i v e - - t h a n of recent years. But we believe that t h r o u g h o u t those 20 years this journal has carried in its pages m u c h valuable contemporary t h o u g h t and experience put on paper by the leading figures in British public health, and that it has reflected its times and served its generation faithfully. T h e editor of a journal which is the official organ of a learned society must, we believe, always bear in the forefront of his m i n d the fact that the journal he edits is the only regular link between its sponsoring body and m a n y of the members. It m u s t thus try to give a general picture of the society's life and doings as well as reproducing the pick of the addresses and papers delivered to meetings of the Branches and Groups. In a subject so catholic as public health, one journal can only deal with a selection of the material which awaits perpetuity in print. Realising how " the iniquity of oblivion blindly scattereth her poppy " over the spoken word, the editor must feel acutely conscious of his authority and responsibility in giving space to this or that contribution. T h i s task and privilege the present writer passes on with the greatest confidence and good wishes to the new Editorial Board, which will take over PUBLIC HEALTH with the beginning of another volume next month. So, at the close of this 99th year of the Society's life and 68th v o l u m e of PUBLIC HEALTH, the time has come to thank most sincerely all those m a n y people who have assisted the retiring editor so freely during his term, to the printers who
AND
REPORTS
Vital Statistics, England and Wales, Second Quarter . S o c i e t y of Medical Offtters of Hea'.th, S e r v i c e s G r o u p .. North Western M.(.W. and S.H.S. Sub-Group~
.
.
. 197 ..
19~
have printed each n u m b e r and to the members of the Society and other readers who have shown such forebearance over our editorial shortcomings. T h r e e L e a d e r s Pass On As this issue of PUBLIC HEALTH has been prepared for the press there has come in the sad news of the deaths in close succession of three m e n who have made great contributions to public health and preventive medicine. T w o of them, Provost R. M. E. Picken, of the W e l s h National School of Medicine, and Dr. A n d r e w T o p p i n g , D e a n of the L o n d o n School of H y g i e n e and T r o p i c a l Medicine, were Presidents of the Society of Medical Officers of H e a l t h in the sessions 1944-45 and 1952-53 respectively. T h e third, Lord H o r d e r , t h o u g h not directly connected with the Public H e a l t h Service, did as m u c h as any medical m a n of his generation to promote m a n y causes which have a strong connection with the work of medical officers of health for the good of the community. Drs. Picken and T o p p i n g shared the unusual distinction that they were elected to our highest office whilst in academic posts, for b o t h had remained strong " Society m e n " after their careers had diverged from local government public health. Picken's main contributions were made in this country whilst T o p p i n g ' s were as important in W e s t e r n E u r o p e and in the Colonies as at home, but both were of the stature which has enhanced the public health branch of the profession. O n e interesting contrast in their methods comes to mind. Picken was a believer in the need to bring the preventive and curative branches together by reason and diplomacy, witness the great esteem in which he was held in the Council of the British Medical Association. T o p p i n g , whose L o n d o n period coincided with the inception of the National H e a l t h Service, had his deepest feelings stirred by the wrong direction in which he felt the service was going and his famous utterances on this subject, whilst not perhaps diplomatic, came from his heart and gained both a hearing and respect. L o r d H o r d e r in the medico-political field was another who was not happy about aspects of the N . H . S . , so his part in the Fellowship for F r e e d o m in Medicine is still mainly r e m e m b e r e d ; but we recall his long and courageous championship of the other causes which have been or will be won. in the interests of the national health. Full obituary notices o f our two Past Presidents whose loss is so lamented will appear in the next issue.