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The young delinquent
PUBLIC
HEALTH
SOCIETY OF MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH Telephone: EUSton 3923
TAVISTOCK HOUSE, TAVISTOCK SQUARE, LONDON, W C.1
Telegrams: Epidauros, Westcent
No. 4. Vol. LXVI
JANUARY, 1953 CONTENTS PAGE I'AGI~
EDITORIALS
Health of the School Chihl The YoNng Delinquent .
.................. . . . . ... . . . . . . . ..
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49 49
SPECIAL ARTICLES
The tirospitals' Part in the Health S~rvice. By A. Trevor Jones, M.D., M.R.C.P., D.P.Ir . . . . NIoney, Manpower and the'National Heaith Service. "]:ly A'."Ellio[t[ 50 ]V[.D.•
D,P,If
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54
CORRESPONDENCE
Circular 28/.~2 ('vV. I'. Cargill) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEW5 AND
61
I~EPORTS
International Congress of Hygiene and School !Vfedicine, Lyons ...
62
OBITUARY
Charles Pointer, ~t.D., B.SC. (p.I~l.) ............... Dunstan :Brewer, M.R.C,S., LA~.C.I'., 9A',IL . . . . . . . . . . . . Sir David Munro~K . c . m , c.t.g, 5LB., F.mC.S. (EDm.) ......... J. W. Talent, ,~LD., 9.P.~I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
63 63 63 63
EDITORIAL Health of the School Child W e c o n g r a t u l a t e t h e ~M i n i s t r y of E d u c a t i o n , its C h i e f M e d i c a l Officer, Sir J o h n Charles, a n d Dr. P e t e r H e n d e r s o n a n d his colleagues o n t h e p r o m p t appearance of " T h e H e a l t h o f t h e School C h i l d " r e p o r t for t h e years 1950 and 1951, 8 w h i c h does so m u c h to give it topical, r a t h e r t h a n p u r e l y historical, interest. I t is t h e i n t e n t i o n of t h e C . M . O . to r e p o r t o n t h e years 1952 a n d 1953 as early as possible in 1954 a n d t h e r e a f t e r to c o n s i d e r a reversion to t h e f o r m e r practice o f a n a n n u a l report. T h e onus is placed fairly e n o u g h o n the School M e d i c a l Officers themselves, as t h e p r o d u c t i o n of t h e M i n i s t r y ' s r e p o r t in a r e a s o n a b l y s h o r t t i m e after t h e e n d of t h e year d e p e n d s o n still m o r e rapid p~eparation of t h e reports b y i n d i v i d u a l S.M.O.s, extracts f r o m w h i c h m a k e t h e C . M . O . ' s r e p o r t so close a link w i t h t h e field workers. W e s h o u l d like to see this issue of " T h e H e a l t h of the School C h i l d " m a d e c o m p u l s o r y r e a d i n g for all m e d i c a l s t u d e n t s a n d especially for p o s t - g r a d u a t e s a t t e n d i n g schools of social m e d i c i n e a n d p u b l i c health. T h e Chapter o n t h e School Clinic to some e x t e n t repeats a n d reinforces t h e excellent p a p e r r e a d . b y D r . H e n d e r s o n to t h e R.S.I. H e a l t h Congress at M a r g a t e in A p r i l l a s t , a n d t h a t o n t h e School N u r s e is a n excellent s t a t e m e n t of t h e scope a n d v a l u e of h e r work. I n t h e c h a p t e r o n t h e School D e n t a l Service t h e a g r e e m e n t o n a n a t i o n a l level of p u b l i c dental officers' salaries is d e s c r i b e d as a l a n d m a r k , t h e effect o f w h i c h has n o w b e e n seen in t h e r e b u i l d i n g of t h e service. T h e effectual c o m b i n a t i o n of i n s p e c t i o n a n d t r e a t m e n t i n t h e organised School D e n t a l Service associated w i t h t h e e d u c a tional s y s t e m is clearly p r e f e r r e d to t h e m o r e individualistic m e t h o d o f t h e general d e n t a l service. A m o s t useful c h a p t e r o n G r o w t h a n d N u t r i t i o n of t h e School C h i l d s t t m m a r i s e s t h e " cross-sectional " a n d " l o n g i t u d i n a l " studies n o w in progress a n d t h e various m e t h o d s of r e c o r d i n g g r o w t h in u s e at p r e s e n t . T h e usefulness or o t h e r w i s e of w e i g h i n g c h i l d r e n is discussed, leading to t h e suggestion t h a t m o r e f r e q u e n t w e i g h i n g is often n e c e s s a r y to get significant records. A special inspectio n o f o p e n - a i r schools c o n d u c t e d b y t h e M i n i s t r y ' s m e d i c a l officers is r e c o r d e d w i t h some adverse findings o n t h e s h a b b y a u s t e r i t y of certain schools w h i c h h a v e received m u c h Press notice. ....
2A
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* (Pp. 144. Price 5s. net.) L o n d o n : H.M. Stationery Office.
BOOK REVIEWS
]'orter ~Lnd Fenton's l?nblic ]-Iealth Law in Question and Answer (J. Greenwood Wilson and f. JcI. Fisher) . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Non-Pulmonary Tuberculosis of ]lovlne Origin in Great Britain (G. S. ~Vilson, J. \V. S, illackloek and L. V. Reilly) . . . . . . 64 SOCIETY OF MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH
Ordinary Meeting, September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ordinary Meeting, October .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A n n u a l General ~Ieeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Purposes Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~{idland Branch ........................ Northern Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . North-\Vestern Branch ..................... South'ern Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Welsh Branch ..................... County Borough 5I.(JlH. Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
'
.. . . . .
64 64 64 65 66 67 67 67 68 68
The Young Delinquent " The Y o u n g D e l i n q u e n t in his Social S e t t i n g " e is a v a l u a b l e s t u d y b y Dr. T . F e r g u s o n , P r o f e s s o r of P u b l i q H e a l t h a n d Social M e d i c i n e i n t h e U n i v e r s i t y of Glasgow, a n d gives a detailed review of t h e e n v i r o n m e n t a l c i r c u m stances o f a sample, n u m b e r i n g 2,139, of G l a s g o w boys ; w h a t m i g h t b e called t h e i r c r i m e h i s t o r y in r e l a t i o n to t h e i r e n v i r o n m e n t , f r o m t h e e i g h t h to t h e .18th b i r t h d a y , is set o u t i n considerable detail, a n d it is sad to r e c o r d t h a t 289 of t h e m c o u n t e d 517 convictions b e t w e e n t h e m d u r i n g this period. T h e m e n t a l l y h a n d i c a p p e d h a d m u c h t h e w o r s t record, a n d even a m o n g t h e " o r d i n a r y boys " p o o r s c h o l a s t i c ability a p p a r e n t l y p r e d i s p o s e d to c r i m e or p e r h a p s , w e m i g h t think, to b e i n g f o u n d out. T h e i n f l u e n c e of overcrowding, b a d h o u s i n g , b r o k e n h o m e s ; f r e q u e n t c h a n g e of work, t e m p e r a m e n t a l factors, t h e p r e s e n c e of a n o t h e r c o n v i c t e d p e r s o n i n t h e family, a t t e n d a n c e at c h u r c h a n d c i n e m a a n d o t h e r factors are d i s c u s s e d i n detail w i t h n u m e r o u s tables a n d diagrams. T h e p r e s e n c e of b a d c o m p a n y w i t h i n t h e h o m e q u i t e clearly has a s t r i k i n g effect o n e n c o u r a g i n g j u v e n i l e d e l i n q u e n c y , a n d t h e b a d p a r e n t has m u c h to a n s w e r for. T h e f u r t h e r s t u d y o f b o y s w h o s e offences are t h e first k n o w n in t h e f a m i l y m i g h t yield p o i n t e r s of e q u a l significance. W h i l s t it is i m p o s s i b l e , i n surveys of this kind, to discuss t h e i n f l u e n c e o f t h e will in t h e iridividual, w e m u s t b e w a r e lest w e a c c e p t t h e e n v i r o n m e n t as t h e total cause of delinquency.
-e i P o 158 --Price 10s 6 c l ~ l a e d for t h e N u f f i e l c ~ o u n d a tion'by'Geot~rey Cuml~erlege, Oxford University Press, London, 1952. T h e National Association for Mental Health announces its Annual Conference, 1953, on " T h e Practical Application of Research and Experiment to the Mental Health Field," to be held at the Victoria Halls, Bloomsbffry Square, London, W.C.I, on February 5th and 6th, 1953. T h e conference will be opened by the Right Hon. Iain Macleod, ~a.e., Minister of Health, at 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 5th, after which Dr. G. R. Hargreaves, Chief, Mental Health Section, W H O , will speak on " Research and Mental Health." Prof. C. Fraser Brockington will be in the chair. General findings of the conference will be s u m m e d up by Prof. Brockington. T h e conference fee (including printed report) is 25s. 6d., and there are also day and sessional tickets. Applications should be addressed to the Conference Secretary, N.A.M.H., 39, Queen Anne Street, London, W. 1.
HEALTH
SOCIETY OF MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH Telephone: EUSton 3923
TAVISTOCK HOUSE, TAVISTOCK SQUARE, LONDON, W C.1
Telegrams: Epidauros, Westcent
No. 4. Vol. LXVI
JANUARY, 1953 CONTENTS PAGE I'AGI~
EDITORIALS
Health of the School Chihl The YoNng Delinquent .
.................. . . . . ... . . . . . . . ..
.
.
.
49 49
SPECIAL ARTICLES
The tirospitals' Part in the Health S~rvice. By A. Trevor Jones, M.D., M.R.C.P., D.P.Ir . . . . NIoney, Manpower and the'National Heaith Service. "]:ly A'."Ellio[t[ 50 ]V[.D.•
D,P,If
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
54
CORRESPONDENCE
Circular 28/.~2 ('vV. I'. Cargill) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEW5 AND
61
I~EPORTS
International Congress of Hygiene and School !Vfedicine, Lyons ...
62
OBITUARY
Charles Pointer, ~t.D., B.SC. (p.I~l.) ............... Dunstan :Brewer, M.R.C,S., LA~.C.I'., 9A',IL . . . . . . . . . . . . Sir David Munro~K . c . m , c.t.g, 5LB., F.mC.S. (EDm.) ......... J. W. Talent, ,~LD., 9.P.~I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
63 63 63 63
EDITORIAL Health of the School Child W e c o n g r a t u l a t e t h e ~M i n i s t r y of E d u c a t i o n , its C h i e f M e d i c a l Officer, Sir J o h n Charles, a n d Dr. P e t e r H e n d e r s o n a n d his colleagues o n t h e p r o m p t appearance of " T h e H e a l t h o f t h e School C h i l d " r e p o r t for t h e years 1950 and 1951, 8 w h i c h does so m u c h to give it topical, r a t h e r t h a n p u r e l y historical, interest. I t is t h e i n t e n t i o n of t h e C . M . O . to r e p o r t o n t h e years 1952 a n d 1953 as early as possible in 1954 a n d t h e r e a f t e r to c o n s i d e r a reversion to t h e f o r m e r practice o f a n a n n u a l report. T h e onus is placed fairly e n o u g h o n the School M e d i c a l Officers themselves, as t h e p r o d u c t i o n of t h e M i n i s t r y ' s r e p o r t in a r e a s o n a b l y s h o r t t i m e after t h e e n d of t h e year d e p e n d s o n still m o r e rapid p~eparation of t h e reports b y i n d i v i d u a l S.M.O.s, extracts f r o m w h i c h m a k e t h e C . M . O . ' s r e p o r t so close a link w i t h t h e field workers. W e s h o u l d like to see this issue of " T h e H e a l t h of the School C h i l d " m a d e c o m p u l s o r y r e a d i n g for all m e d i c a l s t u d e n t s a n d especially for p o s t - g r a d u a t e s a t t e n d i n g schools of social m e d i c i n e a n d p u b l i c health. T h e Chapter o n t h e School Clinic to some e x t e n t repeats a n d reinforces t h e excellent p a p e r r e a d . b y D r . H e n d e r s o n to t h e R.S.I. H e a l t h Congress at M a r g a t e in A p r i l l a s t , a n d t h a t o n t h e School N u r s e is a n excellent s t a t e m e n t of t h e scope a n d v a l u e of h e r work. I n t h e c h a p t e r o n t h e School D e n t a l Service t h e a g r e e m e n t o n a n a t i o n a l level of p u b l i c dental officers' salaries is d e s c r i b e d as a l a n d m a r k , t h e effect o f w h i c h has n o w b e e n seen in t h e r e b u i l d i n g of t h e service. T h e effectual c o m b i n a t i o n of i n s p e c t i o n a n d t r e a t m e n t i n t h e organised School D e n t a l Service associated w i t h t h e e d u c a tional s y s t e m is clearly p r e f e r r e d to t h e m o r e individualistic m e t h o d o f t h e general d e n t a l service. A m o s t useful c h a p t e r o n G r o w t h a n d N u t r i t i o n of t h e School C h i l d s t t m m a r i s e s t h e " cross-sectional " a n d " l o n g i t u d i n a l " studies n o w in progress a n d t h e various m e t h o d s of r e c o r d i n g g r o w t h in u s e at p r e s e n t . T h e usefulness or o t h e r w i s e of w e i g h i n g c h i l d r e n is discussed, leading to t h e suggestion t h a t m o r e f r e q u e n t w e i g h i n g is often n e c e s s a r y to get significant records. A special inspectio n o f o p e n - a i r schools c o n d u c t e d b y t h e M i n i s t r y ' s m e d i c a l officers is r e c o r d e d w i t h some adverse findings o n t h e s h a b b y a u s t e r i t y of certain schools w h i c h h a v e received m u c h Press notice. ....
2A
_=
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
* (Pp. 144. Price 5s. net.) L o n d o n : H.M. Stationery Office.
BOOK REVIEWS
]'orter ~Lnd Fenton's l?nblic ]-Iealth Law in Question and Answer (J. Greenwood Wilson and f. JcI. Fisher) . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Non-Pulmonary Tuberculosis of ]lovlne Origin in Great Britain (G. S. ~Vilson, J. \V. S, illackloek and L. V. Reilly) . . . . . . 64 SOCIETY OF MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH
Ordinary Meeting, September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ordinary Meeting, October .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A n n u a l General ~Ieeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Purposes Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~{idland Branch ........................ Northern Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . North-\Vestern Branch ..................... South'ern Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Welsh Branch ..................... County Borough 5I.(JlH. Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
'
.. . . . .
64 64 64 65 66 67 67 67 68 68
The Young Delinquent " The Y o u n g D e l i n q u e n t in his Social S e t t i n g " e is a v a l u a b l e s t u d y b y Dr. T . F e r g u s o n , P r o f e s s o r of P u b l i q H e a l t h a n d Social M e d i c i n e i n t h e U n i v e r s i t y of Glasgow, a n d gives a detailed review of t h e e n v i r o n m e n t a l c i r c u m stances o f a sample, n u m b e r i n g 2,139, of G l a s g o w boys ; w h a t m i g h t b e called t h e i r c r i m e h i s t o r y in r e l a t i o n to t h e i r e n v i r o n m e n t , f r o m t h e e i g h t h to t h e .18th b i r t h d a y , is set o u t i n considerable detail, a n d it is sad to r e c o r d t h a t 289 of t h e m c o u n t e d 517 convictions b e t w e e n t h e m d u r i n g this period. T h e m e n t a l l y h a n d i c a p p e d h a d m u c h t h e w o r s t record, a n d even a m o n g t h e " o r d i n a r y boys " p o o r s c h o l a s t i c ability a p p a r e n t l y p r e d i s p o s e d to c r i m e or p e r h a p s , w e m i g h t think, to b e i n g f o u n d out. T h e i n f l u e n c e of overcrowding, b a d h o u s i n g , b r o k e n h o m e s ; f r e q u e n t c h a n g e of work, t e m p e r a m e n t a l factors, t h e p r e s e n c e of a n o t h e r c o n v i c t e d p e r s o n i n t h e family, a t t e n d a n c e at c h u r c h a n d c i n e m a a n d o t h e r factors are d i s c u s s e d i n detail w i t h n u m e r o u s tables a n d diagrams. T h e p r e s e n c e of b a d c o m p a n y w i t h i n t h e h o m e q u i t e clearly has a s t r i k i n g effect o n e n c o u r a g i n g j u v e n i l e d e l i n q u e n c y , a n d t h e b a d p a r e n t has m u c h to a n s w e r for. T h e f u r t h e r s t u d y o f b o y s w h o s e offences are t h e first k n o w n in t h e f a m i l y m i g h t yield p o i n t e r s of e q u a l significance. W h i l s t it is i m p o s s i b l e , i n surveys of this kind, to discuss t h e i n f l u e n c e o f t h e will in t h e iridividual, w e m u s t b e w a r e lest w e a c c e p t t h e e n v i r o n m e n t as t h e total cause of delinquency.
-e i P o 158 --Price 10s 6 c l ~ l a e d for t h e N u f f i e l c ~ o u n d a tion'by'Geot~rey Cuml~erlege, Oxford University Press, London, 1952. T h e National Association for Mental Health announces its Annual Conference, 1953, on " T h e Practical Application of Research and Experiment to the Mental Health Field," to be held at the Victoria Halls, Bloomsbffry Square, London, W.C.I, on February 5th and 6th, 1953. T h e conference will be opened by the Right Hon. Iain Macleod, ~a.e., Minister of Health, at 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 5th, after which Dr. G. R. Hargreaves, Chief, Mental Health Section, W H O , will speak on " Research and Mental Health." Prof. C. Fraser Brockington will be in the chair. General findings of the conference will be s u m m e d up by Prof. Brockington. T h e conference fee (including printed report) is 25s. 6d., and there are also day and sessional tickets. Applications should be addressed to the Conference Secretary, N.A.M.H., 39, Queen Anne Street, London, W. 1.