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The President of the Congress was the most Honourable the
Marquis of Londonderry, K.G., who was supported on the
platform by the Lord Stanley of Alderley, the Lord Bishop of
Hereford, the Lord Bishop of Bristol, Sir James Crichton-Brown,
M.D., Sir Charles Cameron, M.D., and others.
The Lord Londonderry, in his Presidential Address, referred
to the advance that had been made during the interval that had
elapsed, viz., 14 years, since the last Congress of the Royal Institute
of Public Health had been held in London, indicating the
work which had been done by the Institute to raise the standard
of Public Health work generally throughout the Kingdom.
He touched upon various points with reference to the question
of Physical Deterioration which has been very much to the front
lately. He seemed to think that in this matter the measures in
force for dealing with underfed children are totally inadequate to
cope with the evil.
He also dealt with the question of the teaching of Hygiene
in Schools, and stated that the Board of Education had given very
great consideration to this difficulty, and would shortly issue
suggestions as to the kind of teaching which was advisable. It
was also thought that it was most desirable that women teachers
should learn how a typical artizan household should be conducted
in respect to food, clothing and cleanliness; it was also recognised
that one important branch of education was the training of girls
and young women for home duties. He also said that the Board
had undertaken a survey of the kind of instruction now given with
a view to improving it in any respects in which it was not suitable
to the needs of the scholars.