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of lectures were made to various social, political and educational
organisations in the Borough, and four lecturers (3 medical and 1 lay)
were available.
Women doctors addressed meetings of women on subject of peculiar
interest to women and girls, but lecturers were also available to speak
on other matters.
There was no radical change in the syllabus of lectures shown in
last year's Annual Report.
The following report was submitted by Mr. T. Wig ley, M.A., with
whose assistance the original scheme had been prepared:—
REPORT BY Mr. T. WIGLEY, M.A.
All thinking people will agree with the statement made by "The
Times" that "the intimate connexion between public health and
education is perhaps the one indisputable fact upon which all progressive
social legislation in every civilised country in the world has been based
for nearly half a century." There can never be that intelligent cooperation
between those who know and those who do not know, which
is so essential to the success of all practical measures, until the gap
between ignorance and knowledge is bridged. To build such a bridge is
the object of those who would educate the public in matters which concern
both social and individual wellbeing. Of the greatness of the need for
an instructed mind in this important sphere, the following facts
abundantly testify:—In 1918, nearly 2,500,000 men were examined for
their fitness for service in the Army; but only one-third were perfectly
fit and healthy, and the remaining two-thirds suffered from some marked
ill-health or physical disability. In 1928, the loss of work from sickness
among insured persons in England and Wales amounted to a total of
no less than 26,500,000 weeks. Yet again, the results of medical inspection
of school children show that no fewer than 1,000,000, or one-sixth of
the total, are "so physically or mentally defective or diseased as to be
unable to derive reasonable benefit from the ordinary form of education
which the State provides." It has also recently been shown that about
10 per cent. of the population are so intellectually dull as to be fit only
for unskilled work. It is not, of course, suggested that education will
automatically, and to a marked extent, diminish the disease and deficit
which these figures indicate. We can, however, assuredly affirm that
much can be done by the individual and group, educated in mind and