- Email: [email protected]
Infant welfare in the west riding
x920.
PUBLIC H E A L T H .
large district these mean a considerable cost in motor charges to that official. There is also the obvious comment that the mine zealous a medical officer of health the greater will be his expenses, but so much the less his income. In one instance all the expenses of the appointment are paid by the local authorities, and in two cases they pay a fixed sum per annum (£4oo). Four authorities provide a clerk, and nine medical officers of health pay a clerk out of their salaries. The remainder do their own clerical work, though in many cases they are assisted by members of their household. It is obvious that if a medical officer of health has to spend a day or two each week in writing up registers, keeping records, and preparing periodical returns, his legitimate work must suffer. In eight instances an office is provided by the authorities, and in 5o cases it is provided by the medical officer of health, usually in his own house, which means that some member of his household must be constantly at hand to take messages, answer the telephone, etc. In this connection 17 medical officers of health state that they cannot carry on their work without the assistance for several hours daily of some member of their household. Six medical officers of health pay for postages, stationery, printing, and telephones, and sixteen have provided a typewriter. Three state that they have worn out one typewriter and have had to purchase a second. It may be contended by the Ministry of Health that the salaries of some medical officers of health have been raised recently to an amount sufficient to remove any grievance. These cases, if any, are so few that they are negl!gible, and in any case can be met by the insertion of qualifying phrases in the amendment. The present conditions of appointment of medical officers of health are so detrimental t o the interests of the public that it is felt every effort should be made to r e m e d y them. Even in the last twelve months the Ministry of Health have tried very hard in several new appointments to secure better terms, but apparently the powers of the Ministry are limited. The Ministry will therefore no doubt welcome this opportunity for securing additional powers. HERBERT JoNEs, Chairman of Group.
SOCIETY
~7 FOR THE VENEREAL
PREVENTION DISEASES.
OF
At a meeting of the E x e c u t i v e Committee in September, a c o m m u n i c a t i o n from the Secretary of the National Birth R a t e Commission was read, inviting the Society to send two delegates to a special committee appointed by itself to enquire into certain aspects of venereal disease, a n d also to send one or more witnesses to give evidence from the point of view of the Society. After some discussion it was u n a n i m o u s l y resolved that the H o n . Secretary be
instructed to send a reply
t h a n k i n g the NationaI B i r t h R a t e
Commission
for their invitation, but stating that the Society's views and evidence in the m a t t e r have already been published widely in the press, and s u b m i t t e d by various m e m b e r s to the M i n i s t r y of H e a l t h and various responsible bodies, that no good purpose could be served by meeting delegates from the Ministry of H e a h h and N a t i o n a l Council for Combating them Birth which
Venereal Disease, a n d reiterating before and under the auspices of the N a t i o n a l Rate Commission, opinions and evidence of they were fully aware.
It was further agreed that the a n n u a l report and other literature be sent to the Secretary of the N a t i o n a l Birth Rate Commission for the infor. mation of the proposed committee, a n d that copies be also sent to all m e m b e r s of the N a t i o n a l :Birth Rate Commission.
T h e H o n . Secretary was also
instructed to inform the Secretary of the N a t i o n a l Birth Rate Commission that a work by Sir Archdall Reid, entitled the " Medical P r e v e n t i o n of Venereal Disease," would be published in the course of the next month, and would contain evidence and a r g u m e n t s on which the Society for the P r e v e n t i o n of Venereal D i s e a s e base their policy.
INFANT
WELFARE
IN
THE
WEST
RIDING. T h e W e e t s l a d e U r b a n District Council have appointed Dr. Theodore Craig t h e i r medical officer of h e a l t h in succession to Dr. Robert Raffle, resigned. THE salary of Dr. Adam W h i t e , as medical officer of health for the borough of Newcastleu n d e r - L y m e a n d the adjoining W o l s t a n t o n u r b a n district, has been increased to £750, rising by a n n u a l i n c r e m e n t s to a m a x i m u m of £900.
St. L u k e ' s H a l l , Sharlston, has been acquired b y the W e s t R i d i n g County Council for the purpose of a M a t e r n i t y and Child W e l f a r e Centre. T h e centre is admirably situated in this colliery district, and is under the charge of the local health visitor (Nurse Parry), with Dr. Clarke, of F o u l b y , as medical officer for the centre. T h e County Council's scheme provides for about 100 centres, a n d the 40
'~8
PUBLIC HEALTH.
now established and working are making excellent progress. The School clinics and antenatal clinics are also to be worked in connection with these .welfare centt~es, At the oper/ing ceremony the County Medical Officer (Dr. J. t~. K'aye) said that with these welfare centres they were dealing with results, and not new ol;acles. Through them the) were' dealing With the " CY population " a n d also the " C3 environment." I f wedesirect the childrento become a real national asset, we must teach the mothers. In'the past they had d e a l t wkh the adiilt ; 'then there w a s the school inaoection"bt dhildceri and the infants, and now they'were going to tI{e father and mother. If they had got so (ar forwai'd as to influence the father and tnother, why should they n()t go to the prospective bride and:bridegroom ? (latighter). T h e medical examination of school children was havir;g good results; in that many trivial ailments were being removed before ~ ~:hdy could develop into serious defects. These centres were not dispensaries or surgeries, but Were simply to give everyday practical advice to the mother. The lesson to be learnt ,was riot" to 'be always looking after the big things, but to look after the little things as well. There was a well-known saying that applied here, and that was, " Y o u have always to go wrong to get right." I t Was the s a m e with the mother concerning her children as with her daughter at 16 years, to whom she ought to give important advice. Concluding, Dr. K a y e s a i d tt{at a lot depended at these centres on the voluntary workers, and tl~e nurse would always be able to find them plenty of work to do. I-Ie did not want any mother to get {he impression that the centre was for Church people only, for it @as open to mothers of every denomination.
PORTSMOUTH Town Council have increased the salary of Dr. A. Mearns Fraser, M.O.H., from £ I , 2 4 0 to £1,500 per annum rising to a maximum of £1,700. The annual dinner of the North-Western Branch o~tlie Society o f Medical Officers o f Health will b~" held at the Exchange Hotel, Liverpool, on Friday, December 10th. The number of tickets is s(iScfiy limited and they will be allotted strictly in or~ter of application. The price of tickets is not yet fixed, but will probably be lgs.. Those wishing td-attend~ should give. early no idce to Dr. G. W. N~ Josepll, Public Health Depa'rtment, Wa,'rington;.
SOCIETY
N o v g rvIBlgR, OF
MEDICAL HEALTH.
OFFICERS
oF
BRANCH E LEC~fIONS, SESSION 1919-20. METROPOLITAN BRANCH. President ...... Vice-Presidents
Dr. W. M. Willoughby. Dr. R. King Brown. Dr. W. J. Howarth. Hon. Treasurer ... Dr. T. S. Higgins. Hon. Auditors . . . . . . Dr. E. G. Annis. Dr. L. C. Parkes. Hon. Secretary ... Dr. C. Porter. Representatives on Council of the parent Dr. W. J. Howarth. Society ...... Dr. C. Porter. Council of the Branch Theabove,andDrs.Annis, Bond, Bryett~ D u d " field, Fenton, Howell, Oates, parkes, D. L. Thomas and Clark Trotter. ...
SCOTTISH BRANCH. President ...... Vice-Presidents
...
PrQfessor Matthew Hay. Dr. A. Campbell Munro. Dr. Alexander Robb.
Hon; Secretary and Dr. T. Adam. Treasurer . . . . . . R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s on Dr. A. K. Chalmers and Council ...... the Secretary. BrarichCouncil ... Secretary, Drs. A. K. Chalmers, Macdonald, Maxwell Ross, Pratt Yule, Hamilton, together with the VicePresidents and the President (ex-officio). HOME COUNTIES BRANCH. President ...... Dr. J. M. Clements. Hon. Treasurer ... Dr. J. Scott Tew. Hon. Secretary ... Dr. D. C, Kirkhope. Representatives on Council of the Society Dr. Veitch Clark. Dr. D, C. Kirkhope. YORKSHIRE BRANCH. President ...... Representatives on Council of the Society
Dr. E. M. Smith.
Dr. E. M. Smith. Dr. W . B. Hill. Hon.Sec. and Treasurer , D r . W . t3. Hill.
PUBLIC H E A L T H .
large district these mean a considerable cost in motor charges to that official. There is also the obvious comment that the mine zealous a medical officer of health the greater will be his expenses, but so much the less his income. In one instance all the expenses of the appointment are paid by the local authorities, and in two cases they pay a fixed sum per annum (£4oo). Four authorities provide a clerk, and nine medical officers of health pay a clerk out of their salaries. The remainder do their own clerical work, though in many cases they are assisted by members of their household. It is obvious that if a medical officer of health has to spend a day or two each week in writing up registers, keeping records, and preparing periodical returns, his legitimate work must suffer. In eight instances an office is provided by the authorities, and in 5o cases it is provided by the medical officer of health, usually in his own house, which means that some member of his household must be constantly at hand to take messages, answer the telephone, etc. In this connection 17 medical officers of health state that they cannot carry on their work without the assistance for several hours daily of some member of their household. Six medical officers of health pay for postages, stationery, printing, and telephones, and sixteen have provided a typewriter. Three state that they have worn out one typewriter and have had to purchase a second. It may be contended by the Ministry of Health that the salaries of some medical officers of health have been raised recently to an amount sufficient to remove any grievance. These cases, if any, are so few that they are negl!gible, and in any case can be met by the insertion of qualifying phrases in the amendment. The present conditions of appointment of medical officers of health are so detrimental t o the interests of the public that it is felt every effort should be made to r e m e d y them. Even in the last twelve months the Ministry of Health have tried very hard in several new appointments to secure better terms, but apparently the powers of the Ministry are limited. The Ministry will therefore no doubt welcome this opportunity for securing additional powers. HERBERT JoNEs, Chairman of Group.
SOCIETY
~7 FOR THE VENEREAL
PREVENTION DISEASES.
OF
At a meeting of the E x e c u t i v e Committee in September, a c o m m u n i c a t i o n from the Secretary of the National Birth R a t e Commission was read, inviting the Society to send two delegates to a special committee appointed by itself to enquire into certain aspects of venereal disease, a n d also to send one or more witnesses to give evidence from the point of view of the Society. After some discussion it was u n a n i m o u s l y resolved that the H o n . Secretary be
instructed to send a reply
t h a n k i n g the NationaI B i r t h R a t e
Commission
for their invitation, but stating that the Society's views and evidence in the m a t t e r have already been published widely in the press, and s u b m i t t e d by various m e m b e r s to the M i n i s t r y of H e a l t h and various responsible bodies, that no good purpose could be served by meeting delegates from the Ministry of H e a h h and N a t i o n a l Council for Combating them Birth which
Venereal Disease, a n d reiterating before and under the auspices of the N a t i o n a l Rate Commission, opinions and evidence of they were fully aware.
It was further agreed that the a n n u a l report and other literature be sent to the Secretary of the N a t i o n a l Birth Rate Commission for the infor. mation of the proposed committee, a n d that copies be also sent to all m e m b e r s of the N a t i o n a l :Birth Rate Commission.
T h e H o n . Secretary was also
instructed to inform the Secretary of the N a t i o n a l Birth Rate Commission that a work by Sir Archdall Reid, entitled the " Medical P r e v e n t i o n of Venereal Disease," would be published in the course of the next month, and would contain evidence and a r g u m e n t s on which the Society for the P r e v e n t i o n of Venereal D i s e a s e base their policy.
INFANT
WELFARE
IN
THE
WEST
RIDING. T h e W e e t s l a d e U r b a n District Council have appointed Dr. Theodore Craig t h e i r medical officer of h e a l t h in succession to Dr. Robert Raffle, resigned. THE salary of Dr. Adam W h i t e , as medical officer of health for the borough of Newcastleu n d e r - L y m e a n d the adjoining W o l s t a n t o n u r b a n district, has been increased to £750, rising by a n n u a l i n c r e m e n t s to a m a x i m u m of £900.
St. L u k e ' s H a l l , Sharlston, has been acquired b y the W e s t R i d i n g County Council for the purpose of a M a t e r n i t y and Child W e l f a r e Centre. T h e centre is admirably situated in this colliery district, and is under the charge of the local health visitor (Nurse Parry), with Dr. Clarke, of F o u l b y , as medical officer for the centre. T h e County Council's scheme provides for about 100 centres, a n d the 40
'~8
PUBLIC HEALTH.
now established and working are making excellent progress. The School clinics and antenatal clinics are also to be worked in connection with these .welfare centt~es, At the oper/ing ceremony the County Medical Officer (Dr. J. t~. K'aye) said that with these welfare centres they were dealing with results, and not new ol;acles. Through them the) were' dealing With the " CY population " a n d also the " C3 environment." I f wedesirect the childrento become a real national asset, we must teach the mothers. In'the past they had d e a l t wkh the adiilt ; 'then there w a s the school inaoection"bt dhildceri and the infants, and now they'were going to tI{e father and mother. If they had got so (ar forwai'd as to influence the father and tnother, why should they n()t go to the prospective bride and:bridegroom ? (latighter). T h e medical examination of school children was havir;g good results; in that many trivial ailments were being removed before ~ ~:hdy could develop into serious defects. These centres were not dispensaries or surgeries, but Were simply to give everyday practical advice to the mother. The lesson to be learnt ,was riot" to 'be always looking after the big things, but to look after the little things as well. There was a well-known saying that applied here, and that was, " Y o u have always to go wrong to get right." I t Was the s a m e with the mother concerning her children as with her daughter at 16 years, to whom she ought to give important advice. Concluding, Dr. K a y e s a i d tt{at a lot depended at these centres on the voluntary workers, and tl~e nurse would always be able to find them plenty of work to do. I-Ie did not want any mother to get {he impression that the centre was for Church people only, for it @as open to mothers of every denomination.
PORTSMOUTH Town Council have increased the salary of Dr. A. Mearns Fraser, M.O.H., from £ I , 2 4 0 to £1,500 per annum rising to a maximum of £1,700. The annual dinner of the North-Western Branch o~tlie Society o f Medical Officers o f Health will b~" held at the Exchange Hotel, Liverpool, on Friday, December 10th. The number of tickets is s(iScfiy limited and they will be allotted strictly in or~ter of application. The price of tickets is not yet fixed, but will probably be lgs.. Those wishing td-attend~ should give. early no idce to Dr. G. W. N~ Josepll, Public Health Depa'rtment, Wa,'rington;.
SOCIETY
N o v g rvIBlgR, OF
MEDICAL HEALTH.
OFFICERS
oF
BRANCH E LEC~fIONS, SESSION 1919-20. METROPOLITAN BRANCH. President ...... Vice-Presidents
Dr. W. M. Willoughby. Dr. R. King Brown. Dr. W. J. Howarth. Hon. Treasurer ... Dr. T. S. Higgins. Hon. Auditors . . . . . . Dr. E. G. Annis. Dr. L. C. Parkes. Hon. Secretary ... Dr. C. Porter. Representatives on Council of the parent Dr. W. J. Howarth. Society ...... Dr. C. Porter. Council of the Branch Theabove,andDrs.Annis, Bond, Bryett~ D u d " field, Fenton, Howell, Oates, parkes, D. L. Thomas and Clark Trotter. ...
SCOTTISH BRANCH. President ...... Vice-Presidents
...
PrQfessor Matthew Hay. Dr. A. Campbell Munro. Dr. Alexander Robb.
Hon; Secretary and Dr. T. Adam. Treasurer . . . . . . R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s on Dr. A. K. Chalmers and Council ...... the Secretary. BrarichCouncil ... Secretary, Drs. A. K. Chalmers, Macdonald, Maxwell Ross, Pratt Yule, Hamilton, together with the VicePresidents and the President (ex-officio). HOME COUNTIES BRANCH. President ...... Dr. J. M. Clements. Hon. Treasurer ... Dr. J. Scott Tew. Hon. Secretary ... Dr. D. C, Kirkhope. Representatives on Council of the Society Dr. Veitch Clark. Dr. D, C. Kirkhope. YORKSHIRE BRANCH. President ...... Representatives on Council of the Society
Dr. E. M. Smith.
Dr. E. M. Smith. Dr. W . B. Hill. Hon.Sec. and Treasurer , D r . W . t3. Hill.