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His Worship the Mayor and the Mayoress, Councillor and Mrs. D. Bromfield, attended most of the
demonstrations at the primary schools and enjoyed meeting the children who were able to show how
quickly they had learned to clean their teeth in the proper manner.
At the end of the demonstration each child was presented with a dental hygiene kit, comprising a mug, a
toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste, together with a letter to parents from the Medical Officer of Health
and the Chief Dental Officer. 54 infant and nursery schools were visited during the year, and more than
2,000 kits were distributed.
HYPOTHERMIA
Many elderly people, particularly those living alone, find themselves in danger when the temperature
drops during the winter months. Hypothermia can set in, thus causing distress, illness, and sometimes death.
Many old people are unable to maintain an adequate body temperature particularly if their clothing, bed
clothing, nutrition or room temperature are inadequate, often due to financial circumstances. The old
saying heard amongst elderly people "I would rather have a fire on a cold day than a meal" is a truism
which reflects the dire circumstances under which some of them exist. The department has produced
emergency kits containing blankets, sleeping bags, thermometers, an approved oil heater and oil heater
guard, coins for prepayment meters, a small stove and tins of soup. These kits are available for immediate
use on a 24-hour basis; in addition, publicity material, leaflets and posters designed by the health education
service were displayed and distributed throughout the borough. Much press, radio and television publicity
was given to the emergency scheme to bring the attention of all elderly people and those responsible for
caring for and helping them to the hypothermia problem.
VENEREAL DISEASE
Gonorrhoea is now second only to measles as the most widespread infectious disease, and it used to be
said that "everyone gets measles". Fortunately measles is now being controlled by immunisation, but this
cannot be said of gonorrhoea. The best way to fight this menace to health is by education. Until this year it
was very difficult to promote V.D. campaigns publicly owing to the risk of prosecution under Section 5 of
the Indecent Advertisements Act 1889. Baroness Alma Birk, Chairman of the Health Education Council,
was successful in the promotion of "The Indecent Advertisement (Amendment) Bill" which became law on
29th May of this year. The Act enables publicity dealing with V.D. to be used on a wide scale without fear
of prosecution and Islington was amongst the first local authorities to use V.D. publicity freely after its
enactment. V.D. had been chosen as the borough health education theme for June and so our publicity
reinforced the intensive press, radio and television publicity given to the Bill.
YOUTH CLUBS AND GROUPS
Many youth clubs continued to ask for talks and films on health matters. Drugs and venereal disease were
the subjects most often discussed but one club asked for a course on general topics; this included a film
showing the birth of a baby and proved to be the most popular session of this series.
YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
The Health Education Officer continues with his participation in courses arranged at the Central Young
Men's Christian Association for school leavers from Islington.
SMOKING ADVISORY CLINIC
This is now in its ninth year of operation. The degree of success achieved by those patients who
completed the six weeks' course is most encouraging, and even more so to know that more than 60% of
those who had stopped smoking as a result of the course were still not smoking after one year. It does seem
a pity, however, that so few people wish to take advantage of this unique facility which is offered to them.
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