London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Bermondsey 1925

Report on the sanitary condition of the Borough of Bermondsey for the year 1925

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still I think we are beginning to reap the benefits of it in Bermondsey.
The undermentioned report speaks for itself. The
actual lecturing, I might say, is done by Dr. Connan and other
members of the staff practically all or mostly in their own time,
and it speaks very highly for their enthusiasm when you realise
the amount of work that has been put in, especially in the
production of films. It is all due to the enthusiasm of Dr.
Connan, and as he had already paid tribute to the members
of the staff who assisted him, I need hardly say any more about
the work.
Dr. D. M. Connan's report:—
"Early in 1924 the Council decided to establish a propaganda
section of the Public Health Department. It was felt
that public health legislation had advanced more rapidly than
public knowledge of the principles of hygiene, and that the education
of the public in these principles had become necessary before
further advance could be made. The whole object of the Public
Health Department is to prevent disease, and it is clear that an
enlightened public can greatly assist the attainment of this
object.
As no one in this country had had any wide experience of
public health propaganda work there were no guiding precedents,
and the efforts of 1924 were largely experimental.
The year 1925 has been the first complete year of work in
this section. It has provided considerable experience and greatly
strengthened confidence in the value of the work. The following
figures give an outline of the work which has been accomplished
during the year:—

FIGURES FOR 1925.

Total number of lectures delivered91
Total number of indoor lectures51
Total number of outdoor lectures40
Total attendances at lectures19,222
Total attendances at indoor lectures6,002
Total attendances at outdoor lectures13,220
Films produced4
Films in course of production2
Number of lantern slides made from material produced by this department251