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CHELTENHAM AND ITS MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH.
1097 third
possible
the extensive
course
considered
collection
of
Office
at
was
medical
view of
that in literature
at
the
Washington other libraries should devote their resources to making what have been called "reference"" or " working" collections, old editions of books being discarded when new ones are
Surgeon-General’s
obtained. Mr. FISHER confessed that his sympathies were entirely with the first of these courses. He deprecated the discarding of older editions since he stated that in his library they
sometimes demanded for purposes of reference. He a considerable percentage of books in all libraries were never used but also said that he would not like to choose the books to be discarded. In the discussion on Mr. FISHER’S paper Dr. GEORGE DOCK of Ann Arbor thought it would not be a good plan to limit the growth of libraries. It would not be sufficient to develop large collections in a few cities because with the increase of population the demand for extensive collections of medical books would become greater. He thought that in every growing city there should be a medical library conducted
rendering
it
practically impossible
to
refer to current
continental and American medical periodicals or to works of reference. This is a real loss to many members of the assistant staffs of the great hospitals who, being in many in charge of wards, have opportunities for clinical research in connexion with which reference to special works may be essential. It must, moreover, strike foreign visitors as remarkable that in the greatest city in the world all the cases
medical reference libraries have been closed space of one month.
during
the
were
admitted that
actively as possible. Dr. EDWIN H. BRIGHAM of Boston suggested that it would be advisable to discard books on the collateral sciences where they were to be found in other libraries in the same locality. He that there should be as many large was of opinion libraries as possible and that old and curious books should be saved. Mr. A. T. HUNTINGTON of Brooklyn thought that no general rule could be established. He maintained that in places where it was possible to build up and to maintain a large medical library a collec- I tion should be made as large and complete in character as possible. In smaller communities it would be the best , policy to maintain a good up-to-date working library. The discussion is an interesting one although no very definite conclusions seem to have been arrived at. In a progressive science with such widespread ramifications and such extensive as
literature as that of medicine, where reference to standard works and special monographs is so essential, it is obvious that a library is a most important, valuable, and indeed necessary aid to the scientific practitioner of medicine who may need to refer for details of various methods of diagnosis and treatment to monographs or periodicals difficult to obtain. Certainly in all university towns a medical library as complete as possible should be established under the segis of the university, if possible with the assistance of local medical organisations, and in all towns of any magnitude a reference library as extensive as the resources available can provide would be of great assistance to the practitioner. The difficulty in such matters is to provide the mechanism for starting and maintaining them, and the various local medical societies in many towns serve a most useful function in this respect, but in not a few cases lack of combination and of organisation leads to unnecessary duplication on the other.
Another
on
the
one
hand and
incompleteness ’
in connexion with medical libraries mutual arrangement might be of great value is in regard to their closing. Doubtless not a few of our readers have suffered during the recent vacation from the where
problem
some
closing of
all the
large medical
libraries in the
metropolis,
Annotations. "Ne quid nimis."
CHELTENHAM
AND
ITS MEDICAL HEALTH.
OFFICER OF
CHELTENHAM is an inland watering-place and far-famed educational centre to which the public resorts for relief from certain ailments and to which a large number of children and young people, all at ages susceptible to water-borne and air-borne diseases, are sent term by term for purposes of education and culture. This town has been served for many years by an energetic and capable medical officer of health who has fearlessly done his duty and who, amongst other things, has endeavoured to induce the local butchera to slaughter their cattle where they can be properly examined rather than in the secrecy and ofttimes dirty conditions which obtain in private slaughter-houses. He writes interesting reports which show that he takes a conscientious interest in the protection of the health of those under his charge. Notwithstanding the admitted fact that there is against this officer not the faintest suggestion of neglect of duty, but, on the other hand, commendation of the highest order, an effort is being made to reduce his salary by Z100 a year, much in the same fashion as is from time to time attempted with a Cabinet Minister as a form of censure in the House of It is said that the fearless performance Commons. of his duty by the medical officer of health with regard to prosecutions for possessing insanitary property, adulterating sugar, selling unwàolesome food, or such like offences constitutes the real basis of the attack. If it be true, as is alleged, that two health resorts have endeavoured to dispense with the services of their medical officer of health owing solely to the fact that they have done their duty without fear or favour a public example by means of a public inquiry should be made of the towns in question. Moreover, in the case of Cheltenham the mayor, who is also chairman of the health committee, expressed the opinion that the town could be looked after in its health aspects by a "half-time"medical officer of health. Fortunately for himself Dr. J. H. Garrett is not subject to periodical re-election and the terms of his appointment cannot be varied without the consent of These instances surely the Local Government Board. indicate the need for reform in the conditions under which medical officers of health hold office and we are glad to see that Dr. Macnamara, Parliamentary Secretary of the Local Government Board, has recently expressed himself as fully alive to the necessity for more control in this respect being granted by Parliament to the Central Health Department which at present is only able to refuse sanction to part payment of the salary of medical officers of health out of county funds.
possible
the extensive
course
considered
collection
of
Office
at
was
medical
view of
that in literature
at
the
Washington other libraries should devote their resources to making what have been called "reference"" or " working" collections, old editions of books being discarded when new ones are
Surgeon-General’s
obtained. Mr. FISHER confessed that his sympathies were entirely with the first of these courses. He deprecated the discarding of older editions since he stated that in his library they
sometimes demanded for purposes of reference. He a considerable percentage of books in all libraries were never used but also said that he would not like to choose the books to be discarded. In the discussion on Mr. FISHER’S paper Dr. GEORGE DOCK of Ann Arbor thought it would not be a good plan to limit the growth of libraries. It would not be sufficient to develop large collections in a few cities because with the increase of population the demand for extensive collections of medical books would become greater. He thought that in every growing city there should be a medical library conducted
rendering
it
practically impossible
to
refer to current
continental and American medical periodicals or to works of reference. This is a real loss to many members of the assistant staffs of the great hospitals who, being in many in charge of wards, have opportunities for clinical research in connexion with which reference to special works may be essential. It must, moreover, strike foreign visitors as remarkable that in the greatest city in the world all the cases
medical reference libraries have been closed space of one month.
during
the
were
admitted that
actively as possible. Dr. EDWIN H. BRIGHAM of Boston suggested that it would be advisable to discard books on the collateral sciences where they were to be found in other libraries in the same locality. He that there should be as many large was of opinion libraries as possible and that old and curious books should be saved. Mr. A. T. HUNTINGTON of Brooklyn thought that no general rule could be established. He maintained that in places where it was possible to build up and to maintain a large medical library a collec- I tion should be made as large and complete in character as possible. In smaller communities it would be the best , policy to maintain a good up-to-date working library. The discussion is an interesting one although no very definite conclusions seem to have been arrived at. In a progressive science with such widespread ramifications and such extensive as
literature as that of medicine, where reference to standard works and special monographs is so essential, it is obvious that a library is a most important, valuable, and indeed necessary aid to the scientific practitioner of medicine who may need to refer for details of various methods of diagnosis and treatment to monographs or periodicals difficult to obtain. Certainly in all university towns a medical library as complete as possible should be established under the segis of the university, if possible with the assistance of local medical organisations, and in all towns of any magnitude a reference library as extensive as the resources available can provide would be of great assistance to the practitioner. The difficulty in such matters is to provide the mechanism for starting and maintaining them, and the various local medical societies in many towns serve a most useful function in this respect, but in not a few cases lack of combination and of organisation leads to unnecessary duplication on the other.
Another
on
the
one
hand and
incompleteness ’
in connexion with medical libraries mutual arrangement might be of great value is in regard to their closing. Doubtless not a few of our readers have suffered during the recent vacation from the where
problem
some
closing of
all the
large medical
libraries in the
metropolis,
Annotations. "Ne quid nimis."
CHELTENHAM
AND
ITS MEDICAL HEALTH.
OFFICER OF
CHELTENHAM is an inland watering-place and far-famed educational centre to which the public resorts for relief from certain ailments and to which a large number of children and young people, all at ages susceptible to water-borne and air-borne diseases, are sent term by term for purposes of education and culture. This town has been served for many years by an energetic and capable medical officer of health who has fearlessly done his duty and who, amongst other things, has endeavoured to induce the local butchera to slaughter their cattle where they can be properly examined rather than in the secrecy and ofttimes dirty conditions which obtain in private slaughter-houses. He writes interesting reports which show that he takes a conscientious interest in the protection of the health of those under his charge. Notwithstanding the admitted fact that there is against this officer not the faintest suggestion of neglect of duty, but, on the other hand, commendation of the highest order, an effort is being made to reduce his salary by Z100 a year, much in the same fashion as is from time to time attempted with a Cabinet Minister as a form of censure in the House of It is said that the fearless performance Commons. of his duty by the medical officer of health with regard to prosecutions for possessing insanitary property, adulterating sugar, selling unwàolesome food, or such like offences constitutes the real basis of the attack. If it be true, as is alleged, that two health resorts have endeavoured to dispense with the services of their medical officer of health owing solely to the fact that they have done their duty without fear or favour a public example by means of a public inquiry should be made of the towns in question. Moreover, in the case of Cheltenham the mayor, who is also chairman of the health committee, expressed the opinion that the town could be looked after in its health aspects by a "half-time"medical officer of health. Fortunately for himself Dr. J. H. Garrett is not subject to periodical re-election and the terms of his appointment cannot be varied without the consent of These instances surely the Local Government Board. indicate the need for reform in the conditions under which medical officers of health hold office and we are glad to see that Dr. Macnamara, Parliamentary Secretary of the Local Government Board, has recently expressed himself as fully alive to the necessity for more control in this respect being granted by Parliament to the Central Health Department which at present is only able to refuse sanction to part payment of the salary of medical officers of health out of county funds.