- Email: [email protected]
The Welsh Branch
PUBLIC HEALTH.
I4'.,
with smallpox may be modified with perfect safety. Unless, however, efficient infantile vaccination is carried out persistently in every generation and a transmitted immunity maintained, smallpox will revert to the old type, requiring all the elaborate administrative machinery for its control. In opening the discussion on Dr. Bennett's paper (which it is hoped will be published in full in a later issue of PUBLIC HEALTH) Dr. Herd pointed out that it was generally accepted that acquired characteristics could not be transmitted, and it was difficult to fit in Dr. Bennett's facts with the accepted views of inherited immunity. Drs. Stallybrass, McClure, Watkins, Ashcroft and Berry took part in the discussion. Dr. Stallybrass thought that Dr. Bennett's figures were statistically significant. He thought that the transmission of immunity was less likely to occur through the germ cells than by the presence of antibodies in the maternal blood, establishing a passive immunity in the offspring. He also referred to the co-existence of both variola major and minor in the same community. On the proposition of Dr. C. O. Stallybrass, seconded by Dr. McClure, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Dr. Bennett for his most interesting paper.
THE
YORKSHIRE
BRANCH,
Presidtnt : Dr. G. C. F. Roe, M.O.H., Halifax. tton. Secretary : Dr. James Mair, M.O.H., Harrogate.
An ordinary meeting of this Branch was held in the Town Hall, Barnsley, on November 29th, 1935. The President occupied the chair, and there were six members present. The West of England Branch had written stating that they were nominating Dr. Ernest Ward for the Presidency of the Society, and asking t h e Yorkshire Branch to support his candidature. It was decided to defer consideration of this letter until a later date. The Executive Secretary had asked the Branch to give immediate consideration to the scheme for a municipal midwifery service, prepared by the Joint Council of Midwifery, and to forward their observations and criticisms thereon to the Society not later than the end of January. It was decided that a special meeting should be held for this purpose, the date to be fixed by the President and the Honorary Secretary. The Hun. Secretary of the Veterinary Group
j ANUARY,
had intimated that Mr. H. M. Salusbury, D.V.H., M.R.C.V.S., Chief Veterinary Officer of the City of Sheffield, had been elected the veterinary representative on the Branch Council. The question of re-admission to membership of the Society of persons who had been dealt with under Article 11 of the Constitution was considered, and it was resolved that the Branch re-affirms its decision that such persons should not be re-admitted, and also recommends the Council that where an application is received for re-admission the Secretary of the Society should bring specifically to the notice of the Council the fact that the candidate had been dealt with under Article 11. The question of advertisements in PUBLIC HEALTH was again considered, and it was resolved that the Council be recommended to instruct the Executive Secretary to prepare a communication to all Fellows of the Society setting forth the claims of the Journal to be regarded as an advertising medium not only for official notices, but also generally, and to issue with this communication a note with regard to rates. The members then proceeded to take part in the sessional meeting of the Royal Sanitary Institute. THE WELSH BRANCH. ASSISTANT ~IEDICAL OFFICERS' AND SCHOOL DENTISTS' SUB-GRouP. President: Dr. Amy L. Jagger, Assistant School Medical Inspector, Glamorgan County Council. Hun. Secretary: Mr. Quentin A. Davies, L.D.S., Assistant Dental Officer, Glamorgan County Council.
A meeting of this Sub-Group was held in the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Cardiff, on December 6th, 1935. The President occupied the chair, and sixteen members and guests were present. Dr, A. G. M . Severn (Medical Officer of Health, Pontypridd) delivered an address on " Public Health in the U . S . S . R . " Dr. Severn, who has made four visits in the last ten years, has seen almost every corner of Russia, and so was able to make some comment on the progress being made in recent years. He described how medical practice was originally carried on by unqualified men in great numbers, but after the revolution Lenin soon established a public health scheme and formed a Ministry of Health. The medical profession became state officials, and are now drawn mainly from the working-
1936.
PUBLIC
class and contain a very large proportion of women. Dr. Severn showed how the various branches of medicine had developed. Creches and kindergarten schools, birth control clinics, legalised abortion clinics, centres for the psychological treatment of children, physical culture centres, and forest schools and sanatoria for tuberculosis patients were present in great numbers. A later development were nightsanatoria where tuberculous, delicate, gastric and such cases spent their non-working hours. Venereal disease was being cut down by propaganda and rescue homes. Dr. Severn described the scheme as theoretically excellent but owing to the vast numbers and varieties of types, the prevalence of flies and vermin, the poor water supply, bad food and almost entire lack of milk, it was very difficult to get the results it deserved. Drs. Jagger and Gordon and Mr. Oliver joined in the discussion that followed, and a hearty vote of thanks to Dr. Severn for his extremely interesting address was accorded, on the proposition of Dr. David Lewis.
THE MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE GROUP. BIRM1NGItAM AND MIDI,AND SuB-GROUP. Chairman: Dr. Henry P. Newsholme, M.O.H. Birmingham. Hon. Secretary : Dr. Agnes Young, ASST.M.O., Warwick C.C. A meeting of this Sub-Group was held on November 30th, 1935, in the Child Welfare Centre, Lancaster Street, Birmingham. Dr. Newsholme presided, and twenty-five members were present. The Chairman delivered an address entitled " A n Aspect of Maternal and Infant Ill-Health." At the annual meeting of the British Medical Association this year a resolution was adopted which included the assertion that " the publicity which maternal mortality is receiving to-day is tending to terrify child-bearing women, and is in itself a cause of increased mortality." It was around this assertion that Dr. Newsholme constructed his paper. He dealt with his subject in an original manner which was intensely interesting and very thought-provoking and it is hoped that address will be published in full in an early number of PUBLIC HEALT.H. Dr. Morris Jones, while expressing the thanks of the members for the opportunity afforded to them by listening to such interesting opinions,
HEALTH.
143
congratulated Dr. Newsholme on his enjoyable address. Dr. Hamilton Wood associated himself with Dr. Morris Jones's remarks, and the vote of thanks was accorded with enthusiasm. A tour of the centre was then made and included a visit to the venereal diseases clinic for women and children which occupies the top floor of the building.
THE FEVER HOSPITAL MEDICAL SERVICE GROUP. President: Dr. E. H. R Harries, 1V[ed. Supt., North-Eastern Hospital, London County Council. Hon. Secretary: Dr. Alexander Joe, D.S.C., NorthWestern Hospital, London County Council. The opening meeting of tile session 1935-36 of this Group was held at tile house of the Society on November 29th, twenty-five Fellows of the Society being present. The retiring President (Dr. H. Stanley Banks) presented the Group with a presidential badge. This was received with acclamation, whereupon Dr. Banks installed his successor, Dr. E. H. R. Harries, in the chair, at the same time investing him with the new badge which was thus worn for the first time. Dr. Banks was warmly thanked by the President for his valuable gift, and also received a hearty vote of thanks from the meeting for his conduct in the chair and his exertions on behalf of the Group during tile past two years. It was decided to hold a provincial meeting of the Group on May 22rid, 1936, provided arrangements could be made. Dr. Harries delivered his presidential address entitled " F e v e r Hospital Practice in Retrospect and Prospect," which appears elsewhere in this issue. A vote of thanks to the President was proposed by Dr. E. \V. Goodall, O,B.F.., and seconded by Dr. Mason Leete, and Dr. Harries having indicated that his address was open for discussion, Drs. Banks, Topping,, Sutherland and Powell made various obserw~tions. " TH~¢ Sanitation and Planning of Flats " will be discussed by Mr. John "Wilson, F.R.I.B.A., Chief Architect, Department of Health for Scotland, at a meeting of the Royal Sanitary Institute to be held on Tuesday, February l lth, 1936, at 5.30 p.m., at 90, Buckingham Palace Road, London, S.W.1.
I4'.,
with smallpox may be modified with perfect safety. Unless, however, efficient infantile vaccination is carried out persistently in every generation and a transmitted immunity maintained, smallpox will revert to the old type, requiring all the elaborate administrative machinery for its control. In opening the discussion on Dr. Bennett's paper (which it is hoped will be published in full in a later issue of PUBLIC HEALTH) Dr. Herd pointed out that it was generally accepted that acquired characteristics could not be transmitted, and it was difficult to fit in Dr. Bennett's facts with the accepted views of inherited immunity. Drs. Stallybrass, McClure, Watkins, Ashcroft and Berry took part in the discussion. Dr. Stallybrass thought that Dr. Bennett's figures were statistically significant. He thought that the transmission of immunity was less likely to occur through the germ cells than by the presence of antibodies in the maternal blood, establishing a passive immunity in the offspring. He also referred to the co-existence of both variola major and minor in the same community. On the proposition of Dr. C. O. Stallybrass, seconded by Dr. McClure, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Dr. Bennett for his most interesting paper.
THE
YORKSHIRE
BRANCH,
Presidtnt : Dr. G. C. F. Roe, M.O.H., Halifax. tton. Secretary : Dr. James Mair, M.O.H., Harrogate.
An ordinary meeting of this Branch was held in the Town Hall, Barnsley, on November 29th, 1935. The President occupied the chair, and there were six members present. The West of England Branch had written stating that they were nominating Dr. Ernest Ward for the Presidency of the Society, and asking t h e Yorkshire Branch to support his candidature. It was decided to defer consideration of this letter until a later date. The Executive Secretary had asked the Branch to give immediate consideration to the scheme for a municipal midwifery service, prepared by the Joint Council of Midwifery, and to forward their observations and criticisms thereon to the Society not later than the end of January. It was decided that a special meeting should be held for this purpose, the date to be fixed by the President and the Honorary Secretary. The Hun. Secretary of the Veterinary Group
j ANUARY,
had intimated that Mr. H. M. Salusbury, D.V.H., M.R.C.V.S., Chief Veterinary Officer of the City of Sheffield, had been elected the veterinary representative on the Branch Council. The question of re-admission to membership of the Society of persons who had been dealt with under Article 11 of the Constitution was considered, and it was resolved that the Branch re-affirms its decision that such persons should not be re-admitted, and also recommends the Council that where an application is received for re-admission the Secretary of the Society should bring specifically to the notice of the Council the fact that the candidate had been dealt with under Article 11. The question of advertisements in PUBLIC HEALTH was again considered, and it was resolved that the Council be recommended to instruct the Executive Secretary to prepare a communication to all Fellows of the Society setting forth the claims of the Journal to be regarded as an advertising medium not only for official notices, but also generally, and to issue with this communication a note with regard to rates. The members then proceeded to take part in the sessional meeting of the Royal Sanitary Institute. THE WELSH BRANCH. ASSISTANT ~IEDICAL OFFICERS' AND SCHOOL DENTISTS' SUB-GRouP. President: Dr. Amy L. Jagger, Assistant School Medical Inspector, Glamorgan County Council. Hun. Secretary: Mr. Quentin A. Davies, L.D.S., Assistant Dental Officer, Glamorgan County Council.
A meeting of this Sub-Group was held in the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Cardiff, on December 6th, 1935. The President occupied the chair, and sixteen members and guests were present. Dr, A. G. M . Severn (Medical Officer of Health, Pontypridd) delivered an address on " Public Health in the U . S . S . R . " Dr. Severn, who has made four visits in the last ten years, has seen almost every corner of Russia, and so was able to make some comment on the progress being made in recent years. He described how medical practice was originally carried on by unqualified men in great numbers, but after the revolution Lenin soon established a public health scheme and formed a Ministry of Health. The medical profession became state officials, and are now drawn mainly from the working-
1936.
PUBLIC
class and contain a very large proportion of women. Dr. Severn showed how the various branches of medicine had developed. Creches and kindergarten schools, birth control clinics, legalised abortion clinics, centres for the psychological treatment of children, physical culture centres, and forest schools and sanatoria for tuberculosis patients were present in great numbers. A later development were nightsanatoria where tuberculous, delicate, gastric and such cases spent their non-working hours. Venereal disease was being cut down by propaganda and rescue homes. Dr. Severn described the scheme as theoretically excellent but owing to the vast numbers and varieties of types, the prevalence of flies and vermin, the poor water supply, bad food and almost entire lack of milk, it was very difficult to get the results it deserved. Drs. Jagger and Gordon and Mr. Oliver joined in the discussion that followed, and a hearty vote of thanks to Dr. Severn for his extremely interesting address was accorded, on the proposition of Dr. David Lewis.
THE MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE GROUP. BIRM1NGItAM AND MIDI,AND SuB-GROUP. Chairman: Dr. Henry P. Newsholme, M.O.H. Birmingham. Hon. Secretary : Dr. Agnes Young, ASST.M.O., Warwick C.C. A meeting of this Sub-Group was held on November 30th, 1935, in the Child Welfare Centre, Lancaster Street, Birmingham. Dr. Newsholme presided, and twenty-five members were present. The Chairman delivered an address entitled " A n Aspect of Maternal and Infant Ill-Health." At the annual meeting of the British Medical Association this year a resolution was adopted which included the assertion that " the publicity which maternal mortality is receiving to-day is tending to terrify child-bearing women, and is in itself a cause of increased mortality." It was around this assertion that Dr. Newsholme constructed his paper. He dealt with his subject in an original manner which was intensely interesting and very thought-provoking and it is hoped that address will be published in full in an early number of PUBLIC HEALT.H. Dr. Morris Jones, while expressing the thanks of the members for the opportunity afforded to them by listening to such interesting opinions,
HEALTH.
143
congratulated Dr. Newsholme on his enjoyable address. Dr. Hamilton Wood associated himself with Dr. Morris Jones's remarks, and the vote of thanks was accorded with enthusiasm. A tour of the centre was then made and included a visit to the venereal diseases clinic for women and children which occupies the top floor of the building.
THE FEVER HOSPITAL MEDICAL SERVICE GROUP. President: Dr. E. H. R Harries, 1V[ed. Supt., North-Eastern Hospital, London County Council. Hon. Secretary: Dr. Alexander Joe, D.S.C., NorthWestern Hospital, London County Council. The opening meeting of tile session 1935-36 of this Group was held at tile house of the Society on November 29th, twenty-five Fellows of the Society being present. The retiring President (Dr. H. Stanley Banks) presented the Group with a presidential badge. This was received with acclamation, whereupon Dr. Banks installed his successor, Dr. E. H. R. Harries, in the chair, at the same time investing him with the new badge which was thus worn for the first time. Dr. Banks was warmly thanked by the President for his valuable gift, and also received a hearty vote of thanks from the meeting for his conduct in the chair and his exertions on behalf of the Group during tile past two years. It was decided to hold a provincial meeting of the Group on May 22rid, 1936, provided arrangements could be made. Dr. Harries delivered his presidential address entitled " F e v e r Hospital Practice in Retrospect and Prospect," which appears elsewhere in this issue. A vote of thanks to the President was proposed by Dr. E. \V. Goodall, O,B.F.., and seconded by Dr. Mason Leete, and Dr. Harries having indicated that his address was open for discussion, Drs. Banks, Topping,, Sutherland and Powell made various obserw~tions. " TH~¢ Sanitation and Planning of Flats " will be discussed by Mr. John "Wilson, F.R.I.B.A., Chief Architect, Department of Health for Scotland, at a meeting of the Royal Sanitary Institute to be held on Tuesday, February l lth, 1936, at 5.30 p.m., at 90, Buckingham Palace Road, London, S.W.1.