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Percy Gilbert Horsburgh, G.M., M.D. LOND., D.P.H.
100 individual s t a m p w h o " e n j o y e d t h e p r e f e r e n c e to work w h e n a n d h o w they liked." T h e tailoring workers were likewise highly skilled a n d t h e i r s t a n d a r d of living, j u d g e d o n space available a n d cleanliness, was m a i n l y good. T h e above were working in t h e i r o w n h o m e s , a n d t h e s e m i n a r p r e f e r t h a t t h i s type of o u t w o r k s h o u l d b e called " h o m e w o r k " in c o n t r a s t to the o t h e r type w h i c h is carried o n b y s u b - c 0 n t r a c t o r s a n d outworkers w o r k i n g in workshops, usually a d a p t e d living houses s h a r e d w i t h o t h e r firms a n d e q u i p p e d w i t h light m a c h i n e r y . W o r k in t h e latter conditions s e e m s to b e m o r e adverse to the w o r k e r owing to the a b s e n c e of canteens, m u s i c , holiday w i t h p a y a n d so o n enjoyed b y t h e regular factory worker. T h e s e m i n a r r e g a r d e d t h e increase in St. P a n c r a s outworkers as a t e m p o r a r y peak w h i c h h a s already d e c l i n e d a n d will c o n t i n u e to do so as regular w o r k s h o p s a n d factories are r e p a i r e d a n d enlarged. T h e y c o u l d find n o e v i d e n c e t h a t if m o r e n u r s e r y a c c o m m o d a t i o n were available, m o r e h o u s e wives w o u l d go to work outside t h e h o m e , n o r w e r e c h i l d r e n b e i n g u s e d to assist outworkers. C o n d i t i o n s of h o m e w o r k were m a i n l y satisfactory, p e r h a p s o w i n g to t h e above-average intelligence, initiative, cleanliness a n d tidiness of t h e s e o f t e n skilled workers ; a n d n o evidence c o u l d b e f o u n d of adverse effect o n t h e h e a l t h of h o m e w o r k e r s . T h e y c o n s i d e r h o m e work to b e specially suitable for t h e f o l l o w i n g : (i) disabled w o r k e r s ; (ii) elderly p e r s o n s n o t able to s t a n d t h e strain o f j o u r n e y s to a n d f r o m w o r k or to do a full d a y ' s work in a n o p e n factory ; (iii) skilled workers in e m b r o i d e r y , h a n d - s e w i n g of shoes, etc. ; a n d (iv) the w o m a n w i t h o n e small child, b u t n o t w i t h m o r e t h a n one.
Medical Science and Physical Education T h e R e s e a r c h B o a r d for t h e C o r r e l a t i o n of M e d i c a l Service a n d Physical E d u c a t i o n has already d o n e useful service i n organising a n d p u b l i s h i n g t h e r e p o r t o n t h e e n q u i r y into " S o m e Aspects of P h y s i q u e in Boys a n d G i r l s " carried o u t b y M r . R. E. R o p e r in c o - o p e r a t i o n w i t h t h e T o t t e n h a m E d u c a t i o n C o m m i t t e e . W e are glad to l e a r n f r o m t h e r e c e n t a n n u a l m e e t i n g of t h e Board, o n w h i c h t h e p u b l i c h e a l t h service is r e p r e s e n t e d b y Prof. J. M . M a c k i n t o s h a n d Drs. E. J. Boome, J. L. D u n l o p a n d H a m i l t o n H o g b e n , t h a t two f u r t h e r useful researches are b e i n g s p o n s o r e d ; o n e a t w o year investigation a m o n g a g r o u p of slightly s u b - s t a n d a r d boys, in a S h r o p s h i r e school, to w h i c h a specialist t e a c h e r o f physical e d u c a t i o n h a s b e e n a p p o i n t e d ; a n d t h e second, a n investigation a m o n g 500 adolescents i n i n d u s t r y at Slough. S u c h investigations, carefully carried o u t o n a m o d e s t b u d g e t , m a y b r i n g r e t u r n s of n e w k n o w l e d g e or ideas of m u c h greater value t h a n t h e outlay. Inoculation a g a i n s t P e r t u s s i s Since t h e fall in t h e i n c i d e n c e of d i p h t h e r i a , p e r t u s s i s a n d enteritis are t h e m o s t d a n g e r o u s infections to c h i l d r e n . A l t h o u g h n o t nearly as p r e v a l e n t as measles, w h o o p i n g cough, because of its h i g h e r case fatality, often kills m o r e . T h i s reason, a n d the sequelae w h i c h r e m a i n in m a n y of t h o s e w h o h a v e suffered a n attack, m a k e s its control a m a t t e r of t h e greatest i m p o r t a n c e . M u c h work has b e e n d o n e o n t h e p r e p a r a t i o n of a n a n t i g e n . H o p e s h a v e b e e n raised, only so o f t e n to fail again. I n general m o r e favourable reports have b e e n received f r o m workers i n A m e r i c a t h a n f r o m those in this country. Dr. G . E. Breen, epidemiologist, a n d M r . B. B e n j a m i n , statistician, of t h e P u b l i c H e a l t h D e p a r t m e n t of t h e L o n d o n C o u n t y Council, in a n article o n " T h e C o n t r o l of W h o o p i n g C o u g h i n N u r s e r i e s " * give a b r i e f s u m m a r y of t h e s e reports, a n d discuss t h e reasons for discrepancies. O n e suggestion is t h a t a n active a n t i g e n can b e p r e p a r e d only if H . pertussis i n the s m o o t h v i r u l e n t p h a s e one is u s e d ; some vaccines h a v e b e e n m a d e f r o m old r o u g h cultures. A controlled e x p e r i m e n t w i t h w h a t was c o n s i d e r e d to b e a satisfactory a n t i g e n was carried o u t b y i n o c u l a t i n g c h i l d r e n i n the L o n d o n C o u n t y C o u n c i l residential nurseries. A l t h o u g h residential, these nurseries are n o t closed c o m m u n i t i e s , and h a d e x p e r i e n c e d m a n y o u t b r e a k s of w h o o p i n g cough. C h i l d r e n w h o h a d already h a d w h o o p i n g c o u g h or w h o h a d previously b e e n i m m u n i s e d against it were e x c l u d e d f r o m t h e e x p e r i m e n t ; t h e records of m a n y , too, h a d to b e rejected b e c a u s e t h e c h i l d r e n * With a note on Complement-fixation Tests by A. Beck, M.D., Lancet (February 4th, 1950), 1, 198.
PUBI,IC HEAI,TH, March, 1950a left before t h e course of injections was completed. A p a r t from these, h o w e v e r , t h e c h i l d r e n were d i v i d e d into two g r o u p s , the one b e i n g g i v e n a c o m b i n e d p e r t u s s i s a l u m p r e c i p i t a t e d vaccine a n d d i p h t h e r i a toxoid A . P . T . , t h e other, t h e controls, b e i n g g i v e n A . P . T . d i p h t h e r i a toxoid. T h e risk of e x p o s u r e of those i n b o t h g r o u p s was t h e same. T h e results were t h a t w h e r e a s n o n e of t h e 181 c h i l d r e n receiving t h e full course of vaccine c o n t r a c t e d w h o o p i n g cough, t e n of t h e 156 controls s u c c u m b e d . A s t h e r e was, therefore, a significant difference in t h e incidence of w h o o p i n g c o u g h b e t w e e n t h e v a c c i n a t e d a n d t h e controls, it was c o n c l u d e d t h a t t h e a n t i g e n u s e d c o n f e r r e d a useful degree of p r o t e c t i o n against w h o o p i n g cough. T h e antigenic p o t e n c y of t h e pertussis vaccine was c o n f i r m e d b y c o m p l e m e n t fixation tests.
OBITUARY PERCY GILBERT HORSBURCII, G.M., M.D. LOND., D.P.1I.
We record with great regret the death on January 2rid, at the age of 57, of Dr. P. G. Horsburgh, medical officer of health for the borough of Nuneaton since 1925. He was born in New Zealand hut was educated in England at Highgate School and Barfs Hospital whence he qualified in 1917. In the first war he served as a medical officer in the Royal Navy then transferred to the New Zealand forces in France and finally to the Rhine Army of Occupation. On demobilisation he took the D.P.H. and started his public health career at Wellington, Salop. Thence he twice succeeded his brother-in-law, Dr. K. E. Tapper, first as M.O.H. Scunthorpe and again, in 1925, as M.O.H. Nuneaton. In Nuneaton he built up fine services for maternity and child welfare and school health, one clinic, that at Riversley Park, bein.g regarded as much in advance of the standards of that time. He had volunteered to serve with the British contingent which was going to Czechoslovakia for the proposed plebiscite of 1938, which was forestalled by tile Nazi occupation of that country. In Nuneaton he was responsible for Civil Defence first aid services, and the award of the George Medal was for particular gallantry during a heavy raid on his town on the night of May 17th, 1941. In 1942 he was temporarily released by his Council to go on the Government's nomination to advise the Indian Government on civil defence and to organise schools, and was absent on this duty from May, 1942, until October, 1943. He was again released at the German surrender to serve with the Allied Control Commission from May, 1945, to April, 1946, and his description of the work of restoring health services in Berlin at that time, published in the British Medical Journal, drew wide attention. In December, 1943, he had become M.O.H. for Bedworth urban district in addition to his Nuneaton post and °finally, in the reorganisation under the N.H.S.A., 1946, he became Area Medical Officer for Leicestershire, for Nuneaton, Bedworth and Atherstone. He was a Fellow of the Society since 1923, and a popular member of the East Midland Branch. We offer our sympathies to his widow, two sons and daughter. HUGIt ARWEL THOMAS, M.SC. WA., M.B., CH.B. L1V., D.P.II. As we go to press, we have learned with regret of the death of Dr. H. Arwel Thomas, County medical officer of health and school medical officer, Denbighshire, whilst officiating at the count at Wrexham after the close of the General Election poll on February 23rd. Dr. Thomas took the degree of M.Sc., National University of Wales, in 1919, and qualified in medicine at Liverpool University in 1923, taking his D.P.H. in the following year. He was also an Assoc;ate of the Institute of Chemistry. His first public health post was as Assistant R.M.O. at Highfield Sanatorium, Liverpool, whence he was appointed to Denbighshire as deputy C.M.O.H. and succeeded Dr. T. Roberts in the chief post in 19371 He had been a Fellow of the Society since 1936.
Dr. W. A. Bullough, O.B.E., who retired last year as County medical officer of health, Essex, has been appointed Medical Director of the County Public Health Laboratories, 66, Victoria Street, S.W.I, in succession to Dr. G. ]. Laws. It is interesting to recall that the founder of the County Laboratories, the late Dr. 1. C. Thresh, had also served as a M.O.H. (for two rural districts) in Essex. Lt.-Col. E. F. W. Mackenzie, O.B.E., M.C., M.B., D.P.m, Director of Water Examinations, Metropolitan W a t e r Board, will give a popular lecture at the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene, 28, Portland Place, W.I, on Wednesday, March 15th, at 3.30 p.m., on " T h e p~ovision and maintenance of a safe water supply for the
consumer."
Medical Science and Physical Education T h e R e s e a r c h B o a r d for t h e C o r r e l a t i o n of M e d i c a l Service a n d Physical E d u c a t i o n has already d o n e useful service i n organising a n d p u b l i s h i n g t h e r e p o r t o n t h e e n q u i r y into " S o m e Aspects of P h y s i q u e in Boys a n d G i r l s " carried o u t b y M r . R. E. R o p e r in c o - o p e r a t i o n w i t h t h e T o t t e n h a m E d u c a t i o n C o m m i t t e e . W e are glad to l e a r n f r o m t h e r e c e n t a n n u a l m e e t i n g of t h e Board, o n w h i c h t h e p u b l i c h e a l t h service is r e p r e s e n t e d b y Prof. J. M . M a c k i n t o s h a n d Drs. E. J. Boome, J. L. D u n l o p a n d H a m i l t o n H o g b e n , t h a t two f u r t h e r useful researches are b e i n g s p o n s o r e d ; o n e a t w o year investigation a m o n g a g r o u p of slightly s u b - s t a n d a r d boys, in a S h r o p s h i r e school, to w h i c h a specialist t e a c h e r o f physical e d u c a t i o n h a s b e e n a p p o i n t e d ; a n d t h e second, a n investigation a m o n g 500 adolescents i n i n d u s t r y at Slough. S u c h investigations, carefully carried o u t o n a m o d e s t b u d g e t , m a y b r i n g r e t u r n s of n e w k n o w l e d g e or ideas of m u c h greater value t h a n t h e outlay. Inoculation a g a i n s t P e r t u s s i s Since t h e fall in t h e i n c i d e n c e of d i p h t h e r i a , p e r t u s s i s a n d enteritis are t h e m o s t d a n g e r o u s infections to c h i l d r e n . A l t h o u g h n o t nearly as p r e v a l e n t as measles, w h o o p i n g cough, because of its h i g h e r case fatality, often kills m o r e . T h i s reason, a n d the sequelae w h i c h r e m a i n in m a n y of t h o s e w h o h a v e suffered a n attack, m a k e s its control a m a t t e r of t h e greatest i m p o r t a n c e . M u c h work has b e e n d o n e o n t h e p r e p a r a t i o n of a n a n t i g e n . H o p e s h a v e b e e n raised, only so o f t e n to fail again. I n general m o r e favourable reports have b e e n received f r o m workers i n A m e r i c a t h a n f r o m those in this country. Dr. G . E. Breen, epidemiologist, a n d M r . B. B e n j a m i n , statistician, of t h e P u b l i c H e a l t h D e p a r t m e n t of t h e L o n d o n C o u n t y Council, in a n article o n " T h e C o n t r o l of W h o o p i n g C o u g h i n N u r s e r i e s " * give a b r i e f s u m m a r y of t h e s e reports, a n d discuss t h e reasons for discrepancies. O n e suggestion is t h a t a n active a n t i g e n can b e p r e p a r e d only if H . pertussis i n the s m o o t h v i r u l e n t p h a s e one is u s e d ; some vaccines h a v e b e e n m a d e f r o m old r o u g h cultures. A controlled e x p e r i m e n t w i t h w h a t was c o n s i d e r e d to b e a satisfactory a n t i g e n was carried o u t b y i n o c u l a t i n g c h i l d r e n i n the L o n d o n C o u n t y C o u n c i l residential nurseries. A l t h o u g h residential, these nurseries are n o t closed c o m m u n i t i e s , and h a d e x p e r i e n c e d m a n y o u t b r e a k s of w h o o p i n g cough. C h i l d r e n w h o h a d already h a d w h o o p i n g c o u g h or w h o h a d previously b e e n i m m u n i s e d against it were e x c l u d e d f r o m t h e e x p e r i m e n t ; t h e records of m a n y , too, h a d to b e rejected b e c a u s e t h e c h i l d r e n * With a note on Complement-fixation Tests by A. Beck, M.D., Lancet (February 4th, 1950), 1, 198.
PUBI,IC HEAI,TH, March, 1950a left before t h e course of injections was completed. A p a r t from these, h o w e v e r , t h e c h i l d r e n were d i v i d e d into two g r o u p s , the one b e i n g g i v e n a c o m b i n e d p e r t u s s i s a l u m p r e c i p i t a t e d vaccine a n d d i p h t h e r i a toxoid A . P . T . , t h e other, t h e controls, b e i n g g i v e n A . P . T . d i p h t h e r i a toxoid. T h e risk of e x p o s u r e of those i n b o t h g r o u p s was t h e same. T h e results were t h a t w h e r e a s n o n e of t h e 181 c h i l d r e n receiving t h e full course of vaccine c o n t r a c t e d w h o o p i n g cough, t e n of t h e 156 controls s u c c u m b e d . A s t h e r e was, therefore, a significant difference in t h e incidence of w h o o p i n g c o u g h b e t w e e n t h e v a c c i n a t e d a n d t h e controls, it was c o n c l u d e d t h a t t h e a n t i g e n u s e d c o n f e r r e d a useful degree of p r o t e c t i o n against w h o o p i n g cough. T h e antigenic p o t e n c y of t h e pertussis vaccine was c o n f i r m e d b y c o m p l e m e n t fixation tests.
OBITUARY PERCY GILBERT HORSBURCII, G.M., M.D. LOND., D.P.1I.
We record with great regret the death on January 2rid, at the age of 57, of Dr. P. G. Horsburgh, medical officer of health for the borough of Nuneaton since 1925. He was born in New Zealand hut was educated in England at Highgate School and Barfs Hospital whence he qualified in 1917. In the first war he served as a medical officer in the Royal Navy then transferred to the New Zealand forces in France and finally to the Rhine Army of Occupation. On demobilisation he took the D.P.H. and started his public health career at Wellington, Salop. Thence he twice succeeded his brother-in-law, Dr. K. E. Tapper, first as M.O.H. Scunthorpe and again, in 1925, as M.O.H. Nuneaton. In Nuneaton he built up fine services for maternity and child welfare and school health, one clinic, that at Riversley Park, bein.g regarded as much in advance of the standards of that time. He had volunteered to serve with the British contingent which was going to Czechoslovakia for the proposed plebiscite of 1938, which was forestalled by tile Nazi occupation of that country. In Nuneaton he was responsible for Civil Defence first aid services, and the award of the George Medal was for particular gallantry during a heavy raid on his town on the night of May 17th, 1941. In 1942 he was temporarily released by his Council to go on the Government's nomination to advise the Indian Government on civil defence and to organise schools, and was absent on this duty from May, 1942, until October, 1943. He was again released at the German surrender to serve with the Allied Control Commission from May, 1945, to April, 1946, and his description of the work of restoring health services in Berlin at that time, published in the British Medical Journal, drew wide attention. In December, 1943, he had become M.O.H. for Bedworth urban district in addition to his Nuneaton post and °finally, in the reorganisation under the N.H.S.A., 1946, he became Area Medical Officer for Leicestershire, for Nuneaton, Bedworth and Atherstone. He was a Fellow of the Society since 1923, and a popular member of the East Midland Branch. We offer our sympathies to his widow, two sons and daughter. HUGIt ARWEL THOMAS, M.SC. WA., M.B., CH.B. L1V., D.P.II. As we go to press, we have learned with regret of the death of Dr. H. Arwel Thomas, County medical officer of health and school medical officer, Denbighshire, whilst officiating at the count at Wrexham after the close of the General Election poll on February 23rd. Dr. Thomas took the degree of M.Sc., National University of Wales, in 1919, and qualified in medicine at Liverpool University in 1923, taking his D.P.H. in the following year. He was also an Assoc;ate of the Institute of Chemistry. His first public health post was as Assistant R.M.O. at Highfield Sanatorium, Liverpool, whence he was appointed to Denbighshire as deputy C.M.O.H. and succeeded Dr. T. Roberts in the chief post in 19371 He had been a Fellow of the Society since 1936.
Dr. W. A. Bullough, O.B.E., who retired last year as County medical officer of health, Essex, has been appointed Medical Director of the County Public Health Laboratories, 66, Victoria Street, S.W.I, in succession to Dr. G. ]. Laws. It is interesting to recall that the founder of the County Laboratories, the late Dr. 1. C. Thresh, had also served as a M.O.H. (for two rural districts) in Essex. Lt.-Col. E. F. W. Mackenzie, O.B.E., M.C., M.B., D.P.m, Director of Water Examinations, Metropolitan W a t e r Board, will give a popular lecture at the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene, 28, Portland Place, W.I, on Wednesday, March 15th, at 3.30 p.m., on " T h e p~ovision and maintenance of a safe water supply for the
consumer."