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106
Nutrition—Dissemination of knowledge.—There is a note in the
Ministry circular under the Inspection and Supervision of Food section
and it is implied that the dissemination of knowledge concerning
nutrition should be specially reported upon. Education in the selection
of proper dietaries and foodstuffs has always been an important activity
of the maternity and child welfare centres. It is believed that it also
forms an important item in the syllabus of the elementary and secondary
schools being included in the teaching of hygiene and also, as regards
girls, in the cooking classes. It is certain that a knowledge of nutrition
is a factor of great importance to the public health. Each year brings
fresh discoveries of the influence of food on health and disease and it
is not improbable that in some future time it may be found that many
chronic bacterial invasions, and perhaps some acute infections owe their
striking power in the first place to some error or deficiency of diet.