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The Hygiene of Infancy
308
PUBLIC
aspects of light treatment at a municipal clinic, and in view of its comprehensive purpose we feet that the book is remarkably well done. There is much that is useful in the description of how such a clinic may be organised, how treatment and dosage may be determined, and how results may be checked and examined, and this part of the book may well prove of service to public health workers. The technical description of the nature of ultra-violet light and the chapters on the incidence and diagnosis of rickets we feel are out of place, as the medical worker desiring further information will not be likely to look for it here, a n d in spite of the author's enthusiasm we do not think that the series of case histories accompanied by photographs add a great deal to the story of her success in treatment. The charts are not given in nearly sufficient detail, the photographs of the results of treatment (apart from the X-ray photographs ,of which as such we should like to say a word in praise), are far from convincing, and we feel that a little more of the suggested early co-operation with the orthopaedic surgeon would have been of great advantage. Mugs of warm milk for the children are described as a routine part of the procedure at the treatment sessions: we cannot accordingly be sure that in any single case the effect of so-called " adjuvants " to light treatment can be excluded, although elsewhere in the book a suggestion is made that in a certain series of cases the ordinary centre grants of milk and cod liver oil were discontinued for the purposes of comparative observation. If milk is given even twice weekly to u n d e r f e d children it cannot be stated with scientific accuracy that their coincident gain in weight is entirely due to ultra-violet rays; other observers, indeed, have seemed to lay far less stress on gain in weight as an index of improvement during the actual course of treatment. A valid opinion as to the results of ultra-violet therapy can be expressed only after a much more extensive and detailed investigation than is presented in this book, and we agree that few Public Health clinics will provide all the necessary facilities for such work. In spite of decided deficiencies on these lines, Dr. Gamgee's book shows signs of a careful effort to do justice to her subject. And it will no doubt be extensively used in clinics of the same type as her own.
HEALTH.
JUNE, 1927.
THE HYGIENE OF INFANCY. By S. T. BEGGS, M.D., D . P . H . London : John Bale, Sons and Danielsson, Ltd., 1926. pp. 62. Price is. net. This is the best, most comprehensive and correct little manual we have seen on the practical aspects of this subject. The text is arranged in the form of a questionnaire, and an immense amount of concentration and clear thinking must have gone in the compression of such complete and important information within the limits of so difficult and restricted a form. The answers are full, complete and practical in every case, and we recommend the manual unreservedly to the notice of medical officers of health for the use of their staffs. THE DENTAL BOARD of the United K i n g d o m , whose work in connection with health education is so well-known, have recently published a series of posters dealing with dental health, including one entitled " Diet your T e e t h , " emphasising the value of proper feeding, and another called " The Twice-a-day H a b i t , " urging the importance,of tee tooth brush. Particulars of these and other facilities offered by the Board may be obtained from Mr. H u g h S. Bompas, Secretary for Education, Dental Board of the United K i n g d o m , 44, Hallam Street, London, W.1. DR. J. A. 3VVATT,formerly deputy medical officer of health for Derbyshire, has been appointed medical officer o.f health for the Repton rural district. DENTAL treatment under the National Health Insurance Act, in 1926, cost ~1,146,700. DR. OSWALD RYLE NORWOOD has been appointed an assistant school medical officer at Coventry.
MISS DILYS MENAI JONES, M.B., B.S., Lond., has been appointed a medical officer on the staff of the Welsh Board of Health in succession to the late Dr. Laura P u g h . Miss Jones was for some time assistant medical officer of health at Aberdare, and has lately served under the Metropolitan Asylums Board. DR. JOHN D. CAi~ROLL, M.C., has been appointed medical officer of health for the City of Cork.
PUBLIC
aspects of light treatment at a municipal clinic, and in view of its comprehensive purpose we feet that the book is remarkably well done. There is much that is useful in the description of how such a clinic may be organised, how treatment and dosage may be determined, and how results may be checked and examined, and this part of the book may well prove of service to public health workers. The technical description of the nature of ultra-violet light and the chapters on the incidence and diagnosis of rickets we feel are out of place, as the medical worker desiring further information will not be likely to look for it here, a n d in spite of the author's enthusiasm we do not think that the series of case histories accompanied by photographs add a great deal to the story of her success in treatment. The charts are not given in nearly sufficient detail, the photographs of the results of treatment (apart from the X-ray photographs ,of which as such we should like to say a word in praise), are far from convincing, and we feel that a little more of the suggested early co-operation with the orthopaedic surgeon would have been of great advantage. Mugs of warm milk for the children are described as a routine part of the procedure at the treatment sessions: we cannot accordingly be sure that in any single case the effect of so-called " adjuvants " to light treatment can be excluded, although elsewhere in the book a suggestion is made that in a certain series of cases the ordinary centre grants of milk and cod liver oil were discontinued for the purposes of comparative observation. If milk is given even twice weekly to u n d e r f e d children it cannot be stated with scientific accuracy that their coincident gain in weight is entirely due to ultra-violet rays; other observers, indeed, have seemed to lay far less stress on gain in weight as an index of improvement during the actual course of treatment. A valid opinion as to the results of ultra-violet therapy can be expressed only after a much more extensive and detailed investigation than is presented in this book, and we agree that few Public Health clinics will provide all the necessary facilities for such work. In spite of decided deficiencies on these lines, Dr. Gamgee's book shows signs of a careful effort to do justice to her subject. And it will no doubt be extensively used in clinics of the same type as her own.
HEALTH.
JUNE, 1927.
THE HYGIENE OF INFANCY. By S. T. BEGGS, M.D., D . P . H . London : John Bale, Sons and Danielsson, Ltd., 1926. pp. 62. Price is. net. This is the best, most comprehensive and correct little manual we have seen on the practical aspects of this subject. The text is arranged in the form of a questionnaire, and an immense amount of concentration and clear thinking must have gone in the compression of such complete and important information within the limits of so difficult and restricted a form. The answers are full, complete and practical in every case, and we recommend the manual unreservedly to the notice of medical officers of health for the use of their staffs. THE DENTAL BOARD of the United K i n g d o m , whose work in connection with health education is so well-known, have recently published a series of posters dealing with dental health, including one entitled " Diet your T e e t h , " emphasising the value of proper feeding, and another called " The Twice-a-day H a b i t , " urging the importance,of tee tooth brush. Particulars of these and other facilities offered by the Board may be obtained from Mr. H u g h S. Bompas, Secretary for Education, Dental Board of the United K i n g d o m , 44, Hallam Street, London, W.1. DR. J. A. 3VVATT,formerly deputy medical officer of health for Derbyshire, has been appointed medical officer o.f health for the Repton rural district. DENTAL treatment under the National Health Insurance Act, in 1926, cost ~1,146,700. DR. OSWALD RYLE NORWOOD has been appointed an assistant school medical officer at Coventry.
MISS DILYS MENAI JONES, M.B., B.S., Lond., has been appointed a medical officer on the staff of the Welsh Board of Health in succession to the late Dr. Laura P u g h . Miss Jones was for some time assistant medical officer of health at Aberdare, and has lately served under the Metropolitan Asylums Board. DR. JOHN D. CAi~ROLL, M.C., has been appointed medical officer of health for the City of Cork.