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A New Deal For Nurses
PUBLIC HEALTH
FEBRUARY
Domestic Pests. By L. HUNTER, M.SC., Lecturer in Biology and Hygiene, Domestic Science College, Leicester. Foreword by Prof. WINIFRED CULLIS, C.B.E. London : John Bale, Sons & Curnow, Ltd. pp. 285. Price 7s. 6d. This book is addressed to the ordinary householder, but may be read with advantage by every public health worker. After a brief survey of the main lines of attack it deals in turn with each of the insect and vegetable pests that invade houses, giving a description of method of invasion and useful bibliographics for those who need further information. It has been written by one who Principles and Practice of Public Health Dentistry. By has had experience as a zoologist, a teacher, and a J. A. SALZMANN,D.D.S., with a Foreword by ALFm~D housewife: a happy trinity which has enabled her to WALKER, D.D.S., F.A.C.D., and with Special Chapters put the scientific facts in a readable and practical way. What is the insect ? How many varieties are there ? by JOHN OPPIE McCALL, A.B., D.D.S., F.A.C.D., F.A.A.P., and HARRY STRUSSER, D.D.S. 1987. Is it a serious matter ? How does it appear ? What London : Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, Ltd. pp. xxi harm does it do ? Is it a pest all its life ? The author's answers are as practical as her questions. and 584. Price 18s. net. It is unfortunate that through an oversight there A book on the subject of public health dentistry is one of the rarest of publications and it is unfortunate should be an error (p. 40) in the section devoted to the that this title should be somewhat misleading to British eradication of the bed bug, where the author states that readers as the thesis is primarily the evolution and scope orthodichlorbenzene is used for fumigation purposes. It was, Ministry of Health Circular 1544, of 1986, of public dentistry in the United States. The outstanding feature of public health dentistry in advised that it is undesirable that orthodichlorbenzene, America is the prominence given to the prevention of whether in an undiluted or diluted form, should be dental disease. Numerous radio talks on oral hygiene used for the disinfestation of inhabited houses. are one of the features of extensive health education measures. Since 1914 a new class of dental health A New Deal For Nurses. By G. B. CARTER~ B.SC. (ECON.), S.R.N., S.C.M. 1 9 3 9 . London: Victor practitioner, the dental hygienist, has been trained and Gollancz, Ltd. Price 5s. licensed. The dental hygienist is permitted to clean This book on the nursing profession is a book with and polish teeth, to carry out dental inspections and tooth brush drill and to give lectures on oral hygiene a mission, written by one who has first-hand knowunder the general supervision of a dental surgeon. ledge of her subject, who feels strongly and who writes Only in isolated cases does prophylaxis include con- vigorously. The author directs a keen and critical sideration of diet and the regimen of living as advocated eye on every phase of a nurse's career, and sets forth the remedies considered to be desirable at each stage. by Sim Wallace or May Mellanby in this country. Although the first dental school in the world was The proposals for reform are radical and idealistic, founded in Baltimore nearly one hundred years ago and, as the author admits, some of them are highly public dentistry in the United States is still in its controversial. Nevertheless, they bear the impress infancy. As there has been no urge from the central of much thought and consideration, and deal fully with government to state or township the initiative for the such aspects as pre-nursing education, the training institution of" school dental inspection and treatment school as an entity separate from the hospital, prohas had to come from the dental profession itself. vision of facilities for a more comprehensive training, Although inspections are carried out in many schools the present haphazard methods of recruitment, and the children requiring treatment are referred to private other pressing problems. The reforms suggested flow dentists unless there is poverty. The dental service is from a graphic account of " a nurse's life in 1938." The writer has original views on the grading of largely staffed by part-time dentists who are building up their own practices or whose time is not fully nurses and the reform of the Register, so as to include occupied. The remuneration is low and there is no groups divided in Part A and Part B Nurses, i.e., inducement to stay in the service and the depression nurses wiU thus be divided into two grades according to their qualifications and training. The creation of saw a great setback to public dentistry in 1988. Many wealthy benefactors have assisted school dental nursing orderlies and attendants is also favoured. treatment by foundations which together total several Finally, a considerable proportion of the book is million pounds andmagnificent clinics have been devoted to an exposition of the steps that might be erected where dental treatment of the highest order is taken to substitute for the present disunity among carried out. If it is mentioned that the cost of treatment nurses one big Federation under which a measure of at the Guggenheim Clinic exceeded £2 per patient in self-government could be achieved, leading up to the 1933 it will be realised that expense is of little concern. establishment of a Whitley Council. This book is Within its limitations the author has dealt with his well written and forceful; it is provocative; some of subject in the most comprehensive manner. There are the reforms advocated will not find general support. numerous illustrations (although many bear little It is, however, a valuable contribution to a difficult subject, and its appearance is timely. relation to the text), full bibliographies and an index. is well arranged, and while, of course, another group of authors might assess their charges differently and produce a book of a different " balance," the defect of inequality and the consciousness of omissions is to be expected where a number of experts are concerned in one production covering the ground of infant health and disease. The references to the organisation of a welfare centre are welcome, if a little naive ; but no one placed in the position of organising a welfare service (unless maybe within a hospital) will rely on such limited guidance.
156
FEBRUARY
Domestic Pests. By L. HUNTER, M.SC., Lecturer in Biology and Hygiene, Domestic Science College, Leicester. Foreword by Prof. WINIFRED CULLIS, C.B.E. London : John Bale, Sons & Curnow, Ltd. pp. 285. Price 7s. 6d. This book is addressed to the ordinary householder, but may be read with advantage by every public health worker. After a brief survey of the main lines of attack it deals in turn with each of the insect and vegetable pests that invade houses, giving a description of method of invasion and useful bibliographics for those who need further information. It has been written by one who Principles and Practice of Public Health Dentistry. By has had experience as a zoologist, a teacher, and a J. A. SALZMANN,D.D.S., with a Foreword by ALFm~D housewife: a happy trinity which has enabled her to WALKER, D.D.S., F.A.C.D., and with Special Chapters put the scientific facts in a readable and practical way. What is the insect ? How many varieties are there ? by JOHN OPPIE McCALL, A.B., D.D.S., F.A.C.D., F.A.A.P., and HARRY STRUSSER, D.D.S. 1987. Is it a serious matter ? How does it appear ? What London : Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, Ltd. pp. xxi harm does it do ? Is it a pest all its life ? The author's answers are as practical as her questions. and 584. Price 18s. net. It is unfortunate that through an oversight there A book on the subject of public health dentistry is one of the rarest of publications and it is unfortunate should be an error (p. 40) in the section devoted to the that this title should be somewhat misleading to British eradication of the bed bug, where the author states that readers as the thesis is primarily the evolution and scope orthodichlorbenzene is used for fumigation purposes. It was, Ministry of Health Circular 1544, of 1986, of public dentistry in the United States. The outstanding feature of public health dentistry in advised that it is undesirable that orthodichlorbenzene, America is the prominence given to the prevention of whether in an undiluted or diluted form, should be dental disease. Numerous radio talks on oral hygiene used for the disinfestation of inhabited houses. are one of the features of extensive health education measures. Since 1914 a new class of dental health A New Deal For Nurses. By G. B. CARTER~ B.SC. (ECON.), S.R.N., S.C.M. 1 9 3 9 . London: Victor practitioner, the dental hygienist, has been trained and Gollancz, Ltd. Price 5s. licensed. The dental hygienist is permitted to clean This book on the nursing profession is a book with and polish teeth, to carry out dental inspections and tooth brush drill and to give lectures on oral hygiene a mission, written by one who has first-hand knowunder the general supervision of a dental surgeon. ledge of her subject, who feels strongly and who writes Only in isolated cases does prophylaxis include con- vigorously. The author directs a keen and critical sideration of diet and the regimen of living as advocated eye on every phase of a nurse's career, and sets forth the remedies considered to be desirable at each stage. by Sim Wallace or May Mellanby in this country. Although the first dental school in the world was The proposals for reform are radical and idealistic, founded in Baltimore nearly one hundred years ago and, as the author admits, some of them are highly public dentistry in the United States is still in its controversial. Nevertheless, they bear the impress infancy. As there has been no urge from the central of much thought and consideration, and deal fully with government to state or township the initiative for the such aspects as pre-nursing education, the training institution of" school dental inspection and treatment school as an entity separate from the hospital, prohas had to come from the dental profession itself. vision of facilities for a more comprehensive training, Although inspections are carried out in many schools the present haphazard methods of recruitment, and the children requiring treatment are referred to private other pressing problems. The reforms suggested flow dentists unless there is poverty. The dental service is from a graphic account of " a nurse's life in 1938." The writer has original views on the grading of largely staffed by part-time dentists who are building up their own practices or whose time is not fully nurses and the reform of the Register, so as to include occupied. The remuneration is low and there is no groups divided in Part A and Part B Nurses, i.e., inducement to stay in the service and the depression nurses wiU thus be divided into two grades according to their qualifications and training. The creation of saw a great setback to public dentistry in 1988. Many wealthy benefactors have assisted school dental nursing orderlies and attendants is also favoured. treatment by foundations which together total several Finally, a considerable proportion of the book is million pounds andmagnificent clinics have been devoted to an exposition of the steps that might be erected where dental treatment of the highest order is taken to substitute for the present disunity among carried out. If it is mentioned that the cost of treatment nurses one big Federation under which a measure of at the Guggenheim Clinic exceeded £2 per patient in self-government could be achieved, leading up to the 1933 it will be realised that expense is of little concern. establishment of a Whitley Council. This book is Within its limitations the author has dealt with his well written and forceful; it is provocative; some of subject in the most comprehensive manner. There are the reforms advocated will not find general support. numerous illustrations (although many bear little It is, however, a valuable contribution to a difficult subject, and its appearance is timely. relation to the text), full bibliographies and an index. is well arranged, and while, of course, another group of authors might assess their charges differently and produce a book of a different " balance," the defect of inequality and the consciousness of omissions is to be expected where a number of experts are concerned in one production covering the ground of infant health and disease. The references to the organisation of a welfare centre are welcome, if a little naive ; but no one placed in the position of organising a welfare service (unless maybe within a hospital) will rely on such limited guidance.
156